Bravely Second: Lower Ends
by Mirai Akina
Summary: After the events of Bravely Second, Tiz and Agnès plan to hold their wedding with everyone invited for the festivities. Edea accepts the role of wedding planner, but as her friends know, trouble is ensured when Edea puts her mind to something. Follow the Luxendarc crew, old and new, in their journey to create the perfect wedding... and perhaps find something else along the way...
1. The Sweet That Delivers

_Hello guys! I believe I'm almost done editing my cross-over and moving on to the next chapter. Hooray! But, before I could even attempt to touch it, Bravely Second came out, and I fell in love with, well, Yu's and Magnolia's love. They are so adorable! Anyway, to celebrate its release, this is a multi-chapter story about the Luxendarc crew a few months after the events of Bravely Second. Forgive me if some of the events are wrong, since I barely understand Japanese, and therefore, did not understand some of the situations. As for the title, if you can figure out the two letters that fill into the beginning of the last two words, I applaud you. Put your guesses in the review section. It will be revealed at the end of this story. And now...without further ado, let's start!_

 _Updated A.N.: Since the English names are released, I would like to make it clear that all names are based off the Japanese game. If the plot happens to get altered during translation, all plot references are to the Japanese version. Thank you._

Disclaimer: _I do not own Bravely Second, nor do I own the characters. Plot is purely mine. Spoilers abound._

 **Chapter 1: The Sweet That Delivers.**

For Tiz Arrior, the greatest shock to him was Agnès's proclamation to be his wife, and he was never more ecstatic in his life. In the midst of his overflowing happiness, he swept her off her feet and ran merrily to the inn, shouting to its residents of the joy he just felt. Agnès only blushed quietly in his arms, toying with the pendant, transfixed into a stunning silver ring.

Their wedding, unfortunately, was made into a public event. Edea took it upon herself to create the perfect wedding for the country bumpkin (although she can't call him that while he has that crazy hair), and she spent hours upon hours planning every detail to the nitty-gritty, even resorting to dragging Magnolia down every cake shop to find the most "fashionabluuuhh" wedding cake she could afford. Being new to this sort of thing, Magnolia took eager notes as they searched, while silently wishing for the same when she gets engaged.

After failing to find a suitable cake, Edea and Magnolia packed up for a journey to find their former baking enemy, Panettone. Their trip led them to the Florem Gardens, where they stumbled upon Amy and Panettone strolling through the various flower patches. Amy held a basket filled with little purple flowers (Edea knew there was a name for them...Tiz mentioned it once before…), while Panettone energetically explained his plans for the latest sweets. Upon seeing the two blondes, Amy smiled wholeheartedly.

"Ah, Edea, Magnolia. What are you doing here?" she greeted. At the sound of her voice, both travelers slumped down onto the grass floor, groaning in relief. The hosts gasped and started to splutter in worry, dropping down to their knees to inspect the cause of their visitors' exhaustion.

 **Party Chat: The Quest for Cake.**

Edea: "Thank you for letting us in at such short notice!"

Amy: "No problem at all! I guess you could consider it as a beginning to new bonds."

Magnolia: "What a lovely place you have here~ I wished I've come visit it sooner."

Panettone: "Well, you're welcome anytime! Speaking of which, you two look like you went through tiring measures to get here? Might I ask why?"

Edea: "We're on a quest for cake!"

Amy and Panettone: "Quest for cake?"

Magnolia: "Only Edea would dubbed our struggles as that..."

...

"Wah! This tea is amazing!" Edea squealed as she gulped down her third cup. Amy returned a cheeky grin in exchange. "Thank you. This place is perfect for experimenting different blends. It seems like a new combination is found every day. Ah, darling, can you get us some strawberry cake?" The baker only bowed slightly before going to the counter to prepare their plates. While the two girls chatted away, Magnolia sat staring at her cup of tea, a bothered expression threatening to show.

"Magnolia, what's the matter? Something on your mind?" The mentioned girl jumped as Panettone sat down next to her. A plate of cake was placed on the table in front of her. She stared at the dessert oddly, like the presence of it was bringing back nostalgic feelings. Magnolia shook away the thought, and proceeded to munch on the strawberry cake.

"Delicious! I wish I could make something like this!" Magnolia praised. The patissier chuckled, gesturing over to the display lined with various baked goods. "If you want, I can teach you and add them to your Patissier asterisk." Magnolia physically brightened at this. "Good gravy! I look forward to it!"

Edea coughed into her fist. "Anyway, we came here to look for a wedding cake." Panettone tilted his head in thought. "For whom, may I ask?" Edea giggled before answering, "For Tiz and Agnès's wedding!" The news hit them both hard, for Amy dropped her teacup, while Panettone recoiled in shock, his hat falling onto the floor.

"What?! Since when?!" they both exclaimed. Now it was Magnolia's turn to giggle at their surprise. "A few months after our battle against Providence, I believe." Panettone sheepishly rubbed his head. "Well then, I believe this does call for a special job. I might as well get started." He stood up and rushed to the back, humming a questionably familiar tune. Amy spiritedly expressed her congrats, retelling the story of how she and Panettone first met to Edea, while Magnolia donned her Patissier asterisk, making small talk with her mentor about the multiple steps to baking.

When the cake was finished a few days later, it was planted onto Yu's dining table, towering over the occupants in the room. Yu and Magnolia stared in wonder, while Edea failed miserably to stop the drool coming out of her mouth.

"Wow...will we actually finish this?" Yu asked, still staring up at the tip, which was adorned with a white chocolate fence surrounded by tiny red roses. Two chocolate figures stood proudly under the arch, sharing the same white color as the rest of the delectable delight.

"Mrgrgr...Why can't I eat this already?!" Edea whined in frustration, her stance ready with the aura of a predator ready to pounce. In fact, she almost did...if both Yu and Magnolia haven't intervened.

 _CRASH!_

" _GAHHH!"_

Tiz, who was on his way to the Zenelosia household to check out the cake, heard the harsh sound and cringed slightly. "AH! What was that?!" he wondered aloud. Immediately, his leisurely stroll transformed to an urgent dash. The door slammed open, and the sight he was greeted with rendered him speechless.

Edea was face-down on the floor, a bit of her drool forming a puddle near her head. Yu had her arms pinned to the ground, but his own body was crushed by Magnolia. Her head was buried in the back of his neck. A nearby vase was knocked down into brittle pieces, the daisies scattered among the rapidly drying pool of water.

"W-what?! Are you guys okay?!" Tiz sprinted over to the pile of human limbs, but no one moved from their position. Edea grumbled something somewhere along the lines of "I only wanted some cake." Yu and Magnolia remained unchanged. An awkward silence filled the atmosphere, the embarrassment creeping up to Tiz's face once he looked at the mess at a different angle. It looks as if…

Abruptly, Magnolia shifted off of Yu and rushed out the door, her hands over her eyes and her face beet red. The remaining two picked themselves off the ground; their eyes staring morosely at the Ba'al Buster's retreating figure.

"M-Magnolia!" Yu distressingly shouted. He chased after her, leaving only Tiz, Edea, and the servants standing next to the broken vase with the flowers.

Edea lowered her head. "I'm sorry, but the cake...looked so good, and I only wanted a taste…" Tiz glanced at his former travel companion and ultimately sighed at the situation. "Edea…surely you can wait until preparations are over." She frowned at this statement. "But…" she retorted, "It looks too good to ignore!" The Norende survivor crossed his arms, surrendering to the Eternian native's eating craves. "Okay, okay. You can have one slice. Can I get a knife?" The butler nodded, disappearing into the kitchen for a minute before coming back out with the requested item.

"Here you go." Tiz offered the plate to an eager Edea, who gobbled the slice down with surprising speed. "Wah! This is really good!" she squealed. Just then, the door slammed open, revealing Panettone and Amy, out of breath with horror on their faces.

"Did anyone eat the cake?!" he exclaimed. The urgency in his voice prompted Edea to look up to him, visible pieces of her meal on the side of her lips. Dread struck the duo.

"Hmm…what's…?" Edea slumped her head down suddenly, her eyes shut from the world. For a moment, no one dared to break the tense atmosphere. The snap of Edea's head cracked the trance, and the occupants found her face with an unusually red color right in the line of sight with Panettone.

"Ahh…Panettone, you look so handsome in that outfit." She giggled and stumbled over to him, occasionally pulling on her bangs. The baker appeared horribly uncomfortable. "Edea, I have something for you to eat…" he cut himself off when she invaded his private space; her body was pressed up against his form. "Oh, but I don't want to have it now…maybe later…" Panettone could feel the buried fury coming from his sweetheart, and he turned pleading eyes to Tiz. The boy huffed and proceeded to pry the girl off. What he didn't expect was for Edea to assume a battle stance, shouting, "Don't you dare get any closer!" A katana was drawn, and Tiz fumbled for his dagger before engaging in combat. When the battle started, all Tiz could think of is:

" _Why does this have to happen to me?!"_

 **With Yu…**

"Oi! Magnolia! Where did you go?!" Yu bent down, trying to regain his breath. "W-where could she have gone to…?" He leaned against a building, waiting until his heart calmed down and he could think about the remaining possibilities. "Now…could she be at the…no…how about…no." Yu clutched his head in frustration. Yu didn't know how long he was searching, but he clearly remembered that the sun was up when he left…

" _This isn't the time to give up. I have to find her and explain things. Good luck, Yu!"_ With that, he sprinted off to the Crystal Orthodoxy headquarters. The doors groaned open by his push, and Yu searched the place, eventually failing to find his target. "Looks like she's not here…" A pale light beamed onto his figure. His attention was grabbed by the crescent moon shining onto the ocean.

"The moon huh…I wonder what it is like to live there…" He continued to admire its beauty. Despite what happened with Magnolia's homeland, it still continued to provide a comforting light onto Luxendarc. He smiled a bit when he connected that aspect with Magnolia.

" _She's…truly amazing…"_

Unbeknownst to the leader of the reformed "Orthodox Knights," the girl of his affections is drifting on a boat on the sea, staring at the same pristine crescent. She smiled bitterly at her home world, feeling the wave of homesickness flowing through her.

"Still as beautiful as always," Magnolia absentmindedly commented. The events from before was brought suddenly to her mind, causing her to hide her head in her lap. "What was I thinking? I never been that close to Yu before…and yet…oh, how embarrassing!" She faced the moon again, wishing for any guidance it could possibly provide. Minutes passed in silence before she paddled back to the dock. Upon opening the door to her temporary home, she gasped and instinctively took a step back.

The furniture was completely obliterated; visible deep slashes are embedded into the chairs. The portrait and coffee table supporting the ghostly white cake was left untouched by the chaos. Poking out of the wall near the stairs was a katana. When Magnolia ventured further, she found a dagger behind a gashed chair, lined with white clumps on the tip.

"Good Gravy! What happened here?!" She looked around the catastrophe, searching for any signs of the culprit, but she came out empty. "I feel bad for Yu, having to replace all of this…but why is the cake unharmed?" The giant, elegant structure of food somewhat lit up the dark room, and she felt allured by it. "Maybe…one slice wouldn't hurt." She grabbed the dagger and wiped off the excess chunks. Facing the back of the cake, the Ba'al Buster sliced off a piece and propped it into her mouth.

"Mmm. Delicious!" was her reaction to the fluffy taste. She continued to savor the unique flavor until a jolt of heat flowered in her blood. Her head felt light-headed; the blood started rushing to her cheeks.

Then the door slammed open; the last sound she heard before she succumbed to darkness.

...

Unsuccessful with his search for Magnolia, Yu dejectedly walked back to his mansion. When the disaster was introduced to him, he cringed in disbelief, wondering how so much damage can occur in the time he was gone.

"W-what?! No way…" He quickly surveyed the destruction in his living room. "Did this place get robbed…?" A sudden tingle shot up his spine. His guard was up, trying to sense the abnormal presence in the room. Footsteps tainted the silent air; the lump in Yu's throat tightened slightly. "Who's there?" The shadow stepped forth into the moonlight, exposing a recognizable white flower.

"M-Magnolia?! Oh, thank goodness, you're alright." She displayed no signs of response. Her vision traced the linings on the floor. Yu took tentative steps forward, concerned over the lack of reaction. Her head lifted slowly to meet his gaze, and the sides of her face turned a pretty shade of pink.

"Y-Yu?!" The boy sighed in relief. "Magnolia, you scared me. I couldn't find you anywhere." Pink brightened to red. "U-umm. Yes, I-I apologize." She turned to avoid eye contact, prompting Yu to inspect her unusual behavior. "Are you okay?" The heat became unbearable for her, and her hands covered the burning red skin. A gulp ran through her throat.

"Yu…umm…you're a bit too close." He checked the distance between them. Not even arm's distance to her. There was something terribly wrong.

And what happened next came as a blur.

From what Yu could remember, he could make out him falling to the floor…a pair of lips next to his ear…the feel of Magnolia on top of him…

He blacked out when Magnolia flashed a suggestive wink and lowered her head down to meet his.

 **The next day…**

Edea Lee groaned, feeling a sharp pain in the back of her head. "Huh…what happened to me…? How did I get…?" "Ah, you're up. Thank goodness." Still clutching her head, she turned to the sight of Tiz leaning over the side of her bed. Edea immediately noticed a cut on his right shoulder.

"Tiz?! What happened to your shoulder?" The former shepherd winced at her words, as if noticing the injury for the first time. "You sure put up a fight, Edea." The Templar's daughter only tilted her head in confusion. When did she engage Tiz in combat?

"Ah, I think I can explain things." Both spun around to find Panettone and Amy shifting uncomfortably on their feet. "That cake was accidentally mixed with a potion I made when I was under the Empire. It's an ingredient that causes the person who swallows it to fall in love with the first person he or she hears. Fortunately, the effects wear off after the person is knocked out." Tiz crossed his arms. "So that's why Edea felt flustered after she heard your voice." Amy nodded in confirmation. "And when Tiz went up to remove Edea from darling, she got defensive and attacked you. Here, we can show you the damage." The blonde shakily walked down the stairs, her mind recoiling at the carnage of their battle.

"Oh no! This is bad! Really bad! How am I supposed to pay for all this?!" As she surveyed the destroyed furniture, she noted how the cake had a hole in the back side of the bottom layer. "Neh, do you remember anyone else eating from this?" The rest of the group came over.

"No, not really…" A strangled groan escaped from the back of the slashed couch. Everyone watched warily as Magnolia appeared, stretching her arms while yawning the exhaustion away. "Oh, good morning, everyone." Behind her, a disheveled Yu rubbed his head, grunting when he touched a particularly sore spot.

"G-good morning. Oh, Edea, why do you look so…"

Edea screamed in complete horror; her mind just put together the events that transpired between the two.

"Yu…your…your neck!" The Zeneolsia heir stepped back in shock, not understanding what the problem with his energetic comrade was. The butler handed him a mirror, and Yu almost dropped it once he discovered the small purple dot located in the middle of his neck.

"Wah!" He fell to the floor, too stunned to even comprehend the gravity of the situation. Magnolia merely leaned forward for a closer look. "Where did you get that, Yu?" His face lit crimson red, suddenly remembering what occurred after coming home.

"M-M-M-Magnolia! Too close!"

And while the flower-wearing girl chased a severely flustered knight, Panettone lightly finished up his explanation. "Also, once the person regains consciousness, he or she will not remember what happen when the potion is in effect."

Edea stared at the white cake. It still shone with the same gleam as before, but now, it blinded her rather than dazzled her. She whined out in annoyance at her predicament.

"Now I have to buy a new cake and repair Yu's house! How am I going to cover for all this?!"


	2. The Surprise That Comes With Flowers

**Chapter 2: The Surprise That Comes With Flowers**

Once Braev Lee learned of his daughter's actions and the consequences that followed them, he was mortified.

This led in Edea's punishment of being trapped in her room without any form of contact or outside information, preventing the furthering of her plans for the wedding. And this time, Braev remembered to seal the secret passage that led to the dungeon, further irritating the woman. Who was he to boss her around? She was eighteen for crystal's sake! Not to mention, he was retired, too! In the back of her mind though, she understood her action's backlash (even though she didn't remember the fight herself) and decided to sit back until everything was fixed.

When the repairs were finished (and Braev did not know how in all of Luxendarc did she completely decimate the couch but not that drugged cake), Edea was allowed to continue arranging her friends' holy ceremony. And the next thing on her list…was dresses.

Agnès, being the modest one of the group, wanted nothing more than a simple white gown, but of course, Edea insisted on far more appealing styles (claiming that Tiz would never be able to resist her again, to which Agnès frowned upon). Magnolia got fed up with their passive-aggressive arguments, and during one of their heated discussions, she literally grabbed the two, boarded the hot springs "airship" and instructed Mary to take them to Florem as fast as she could.

And now, she's currently watching Edea toss Agnès multiple dresses, the poor girl struggling under the weight.

"I feel…an overwhelming sense of something sinister pointed at us…" Agnès could have sworn the clerk is glaring at her. Edea, oblivious to the attention she's attracting, looked over her shoulder. "Ah…Agnès, it's just you. Now, how about this one…" Magnolia sighed in boredom, slightly regretting her spur-of-the-moment decision.

"Edea, Agnès, I'm going outside for a bit."

Vivid lights battled the natural rays of the sun as Magnolia entered the colorful streets. Girls of all ages gossiped in the corners of alleyways, occasionally pointing at an unfortunate character for their lack of style. Nearby merchants advertised the latest products from their most recent travels. Coming up to one of the stands, Magnolia skimmed through the items, picking up a particularly interesting object once in a while.

What she didn't notice was the way the merchant looked at her. He eyed her curiously, like a child with a new toy on a shelf. Never before had he seen such a fitting outfit (she has equipped the Summoner asterisk today, hoping to perfect Charybdis until her impromptu trip), and seen it on a well-figured woman.

"Miss, can I ask you something?" The summoner looked up from her search, surprised over the request. "Y-yes? What is it?" A poster was handed to her. "You see, you look so wonderful in that outfit of yours. I was wondering whether you would be interested in entering the Sacred Flower Festival." She staggered back in shock. "Umm…I'm not really suited for this sort of thing." The salesman laughed. "Nonsense. I'm sure you have what it takes." Magnolia stared at the paper with an almost longing way.

"I'll…consider it."

…

"Eh?! Some random person goes up and suggests you to enter the Sacred Flower Festival?!" Edea shouted harshly, a few heads turning away from the sound. Agnès flinched, although whether from Edea's loud vocal chords or from the mention of the festival itself is left unknown. "I don't have very good memories regarding that festival…" The happy, jubilant mood halted its festivities at her comment. The Templar's daughter frowned at this.

"That's right…the last time you entered, you didn't get a single vote. Not to mention someone threw water at you." The pope nodded in agreement. "It was slightly nerve-wracking being up there, but it's not like I needed to win. I only needed to deliver a message to Olivia…" Magnolia felt the air thickened around her, threatening to choke her. Agnès had her head down, sighing upon saying the late water vestal's name.

In a flash, the grieving look was gone, and the former pope smiled hesitantly. "Enough about me though. Edea, from what I heard, you won last year's festival." The blonde girl blushed lightly, and she played with the ends of her Ninja outfit. "That…wasn't really…I didn't mean to win. We were stopping by Florem to check on the water crystal when the festival was interrupted by Geist. I tried to stop him, but I was almost cut down until Alternis…oh wait, Ringabel, appeared."

Agnès tilted her head sideways, trying to recall who this "Geist" was. "Is he…the one with the Exorcist asterisk?" A nod from Magnolia answered her question.

"Yes. Apparently, because of Ringabel's vow to protect Edea, they won the title of Flower Girl and Flower Boy," Magnolia continued, "It was really touching to see those two." Edea started rambling, "I-it's not…really, it's…geez, Magnolia!" The moon native giggled at her embarrassment, with Agnès joining in with short bursts of laughter.

"In any case, I think you should enter, Magnolia. It'll be a fun experience for you." Edea haughtily raised her head up. Oh, one of her plans is starting…

"You know, I should enter just to defend my title."

"Eh?! Really, Edea?!"

"Of course, I'd like to see people try to outclass me." The Eternian flicked her bangs arrogantly, displaying an attitude of well-played confidence. In Edea's mind, however, she was thinking the complete opposite.

" _I really don't want to enter again, but for the sake of this…"_ Edea abruptly pointed a finger at Magnolia, who took a step back in shock. "Magnolia, I'm challenging you to a beauty contest! Prepare yourself!" A few quiet seconds passed. Agnès blinked, dumbfounded over Edea's sudden attitude change.

The summoner was quite confused over the situation. What compelled Edea to act this way? "E-Edea?! Why are you...?" She was cut off by Edea's seemingly impulsive statement. "If someone claims that someone else would be more suited for my title, naturally, I will have to defend it. Now Magnolia, are you a woman enough to step up and fulfill that expectation?"

Magnolia gulped once before stuttering, "I-I don't know what's going on but…" A competitive glare was sent in Edea's direction.

"I accept your challenge!"

 **Party Chat: The True Test of Beauty**

Agnès: Florem still needs to undergo many changes if it wants to return to a more pious lifestyle.

Edea: True, but I doubt the outer beauty gig will disappear.

Agnès: I agree. Maybe finding the harmony between old and new methods of judging beauty is the threshold Florem needs to cross.

Magnolia: It wasn't this...pompous before?

Edea: Well, it was like this when we traveled on our journey four years ago. Agnès was so shocked by the changes, I almost felt bad.

Agnès: Edea, it's not your fault that the changes in Florem came by your father's order. I'm sure he had no choice...considering the knowledge that he knew...

Edea: You're right. I'm sure my father slightly regrets what happened here. Anyway, I need to prepare for Magnolia's defeat.

Magnolia: Bring it, Edea!

Agnès: I guess outer beauty is here to stay.

 **A few days later…**

"I wonder where Agnès is...she didn't leave any sort of message of where she went," Yu murmured as he picked at his white mage robes. Tiz, in his fencer asterisk, gripped the handle of his sword uneasily. "True, but Agnès can take care of herself. Besides, it's not only her that disappeared. Edea and Magnolia are gone too." Yu frowned at this. "That's true..." A blaring sound screeched into the town's ears, and everyone reflexively covered their ears and cringed.

"Welcome to the 50th annual Sacred Flower Festival! Everyone, please head to the stage and join us for our contest." Both males didn't get the chance to react to the announcement, for Tiz heard his name being called in a frantic way by a familiar voice.

"Tiz! Please help me!" Agnès panted when she caught up with Tiz and Yu. _"They're life-savers!"_ she happily thought. "Please, you have to stop Edea and Magnolia." Yu became alarmed. "Stop them from doing what?" The panicking woman did not answer him. Instead, she dragged her fiancée over to the lit up stage. The announcer had just escorted the last contestant to the back of the built-in curtain.

"Hey! Agnès! What's going on?!" Her face visibly paled as the announcer called for a ten minute changing time. She finally acknowledged the breathless warrior. "Oh...this is bad. What do I do?" Tiz gently rubbed her shoulders. "How about you start from the beginning?" Agnès clutched her chest and nodded.

By the time the two males were filled in, the first contender, a lively lad around sixteen, already stepped out and was answering questions by the host.

"W-what?! Why would Edea challenge Magnolia to...this?!" Yu stammered hurriedly. Sure, he was used to her somewhat unorthodox ways, but this was a bit too much for the boy. As for Tiz, he caught on to Edea's plan immediately. "Well..." Tiz pondered for a bit, "There's not much we can do at this point. We might as well watch and see what happens." His other companions glanced apprehensively at each other before pointing their attention at the decorated stage. As more and more people entered and exited the walkway, Agnès's grip on her abnormally large shopping bag tightened.

Yu noticed her anxiety and, putting to the bag, asked, "What did you get, Agnès?" The brunette blushed slightly, shifting into her nervous thinking mode. "Oh, this? Umm...this is...my wedding dress. I wish I could show you now but..." He saw her eyes flickered to Tiz, and he got the message. "Maybe another time then," he said.

"And now...contestant number thirteen, please come onto the stage." Low whispers glided back and forth between the audience members. Then, a moment of silence as the girl strutted on. When the girl was revealed, sharp gasps broke the suspense.

"N-no way..."

"Even I wouldn't be that crazy..."

"She can't be serious!"

Tiz and Agnès could only stare in definite horror. They were too slow to shield Yu, and the youngest drank in the sight before him.

Edea was cladded in the infamous Bravo Bikini.

The Eternian winked, sending a bunch of men to faint on the spot. The rest of the audience denied the image being presented. She turned to the announcer and flirtatiously introduced herself to the stunned crowd.

Tiz was the first to snap back. "E-E-Edea?! Where did she find...?!" Agnès slowly covered her eyes; her poor mind couldn't handle the sudden shock. "Did she always have that with her?"

Yu's face was scarlet red, his face too unbearably hot. "Tiz...w-w-w-what is she wearing?!" His answer came in an awestruck, horrified tone, "That's the Bravo Bikini, Yu."

Edea suggestively waltzed back behind the curtain, leaving the audience in their shocked, prone state. The announcer uncomfortably coughed and stammered for the next contestant.

Magnolia, of course, witnessed the show Edea put on and began to doubt again. While no one knew she has the dress she had on now (she saw it in a shop from Ancheim and bought it despite the group being low on pg), she didn't think she could pull off the look anymore. Still, the host was calling for her, and she sucked in a deep breath.

 _"It's Showtime!"_

Yu slapped his face multiple times, trying to banish the racy picture in his head. Both Tiz and Agnès shifted with awkward movements. Hopefully, the next person wouldn't be so bad...

Out of the blue, Tiz let out a harsh gasp, with his eyes bulging out a bit. Agnès once again covered her mouth, swallowing her own gasp. Yu feared the cause for their reactions. " _What now...?"_ He turned to the stage...and immediately his cheeks glowed bright crimson.

Magnolia held her eyes closed, feeling the wind blow back the ends of her dress. The front cut low, with the middle of her chest and stomach exposed to the artificial lights. Her skirt stopped at her knees, while black boots pulled up to the end of the skirt. A small portion of her hair was wrapped into a simple bun, with side bangs draped on her flushed cheeks. Her precious magnolia adorned her hair. When she turned around to face the host, the audience could see her naked back.

The two former warriors of light felt faint grins forming. "Magnolia looks so beautiful in that," praised Agnès. Tiz nodded his approval. "Where did she get that though?" Agnès pondered over his question, "She must have had for some time. I don't remember her buying something the last two days we were here." Yu remained silent, still staring intensely at the girl dressed in black.

"Hey, Yu. Are you okay?" Tiz shook his shoulders a couple of times until his glossy eyes snapped out of his trance. "O-o-of course I'm fine!"

The announcer was finishing his last question. Magnolia shakily answered, and in her nervousness, took a quick glance at the crowd. She made eye contact with Yu, and her confidence crumbled.

" _W-w-why is he here?! No...!"_

She instinctively covered herself and rushed off to the back. The audience murmured in confusion. Tiz, being the most worrisome of the group, quickly shouted her name before attempting to come on stage and comfort her. But before he could, a high-pitched, girly voice interrupted him.

"Everyone, the true diva, Praline á La Mode, is here!"

Several boys started to cheer as the idol parted the crowd with ease. Her fans swarmed the front of the stage, pushing others out of the way. Agnès was pushed more than once, and Tiz took a defensive stance next to her.

"Everyone, I think that it's time to light up this boring contest! After this song, I'm sure the winner is obvious. After all...when I sing..."

The newly arrived lump of people all shouted with passionate vigor, "WE GO WILD!"

"Yes, that's right! Now, time for my show to begin!" Praline raised her microphone and sang a tune that reflected her lively personality. Slowly, people started to form miniature blushes. The cheering increased in volume as Praline dominated the stage.

The host of the festival was the one clapping the most. "Oh, how wonderful! You are our new winner!" The performer gasped exaggeratedly. "What a pleasant surprise! Thank you everyone!" More people cheered.

Edea was beyond furious. " _Oh no you don't! I put effort into this! I'm not letting this go without a fight!"_ She stormed onto the stage, fury boiling through her blood.

"Praline! Stop this! I won't forgive you for snatching my title without a proper fight!" The idol halted her voice, looking at Edea with slight distaste. "How about you? Did you plan to seduce your way to victory?" The barely covered girl sneered at her question.

Magnolia decided then to step out and investigate the commotion. When she spotted the former member of the Black Blades arguing heatedly with Edea, she intervened with a surprised greeting.

"Oh, so you entered too, huh?" Praline stated in her squeaky voice. Magnolia felt the strained tension in her voice. "Well...too bad, seeing as I already won." Edea shouted back, "That's because you charmed the guy!" Praline irked. "It can't be helped. Personally, it doesn't look like the both of you would win, anyway."

Now the Ba'al Buster was mad. "You think it's easy trying to gain the confidence to stand up there?! It took everything for me, and yet..." She clinched her fist, sending a glare to the performer. "Now you've done it!" She drew her wand, while Edea whipped out double daggers. Some of Praline's more motivated fans assumed a battle position next to the idol.

Tiz and Yu staggered back at their yelling. "Someone has to stop them!" Yu exclaimed. But his cry fell on deaf ears, as both sides looked ready to tear each other apart. Tiz turned to Agnès, and found his special someone glaring with unforeseen anger at the performer.

"I understand Magnolia's feelings. It's truly a scary task; leaving yourself open to the judgement of others. But when someone insults another's bravery," Agnès calmly stood among Edea and Magnolia, "I have no choice but to intervene!" With that, the battle between the females began.

It was a battle to be seen. Praline buffed her attendants before sending them to slice the three female warriors. Edea, with her Ninja asterisk, dodged their incoming attacks and occasionally stabbed one in the back. Magnolia stood still for a moment before waving her rod up to the sky, and the infamous Deus Ex blasted electricity onto the opposing side.

The biggest threat was Agnès, though. With her mastery in black mage and arcanist as backup, she brilliantly casted Sleep onto the enemies' side, followed by Interment, wiping out waves of hypnotized fans with a flick of her hand. Fortunately, she lessened the damage so that it didn't cause severe injuries. Praline felt herself slowly cornered as her attackers started to gain ground.

Finally, after Magnolia summoned Susano-o, Praline knelt down in exhaustion. Various burn marks scarred her arms and puffy dress. The three women glared at the fallen idol, waiting for her to say something.

"Why? Why must I be robbed of attention again? This is not fair!" Praline pouted childishly, stomping the ground with her beaten-up boots. She hastily ran off in embarrassment, and Edea huffed in relief. Agnès patted down her short pleated skirt, wiping any dirt from the fabric. Magnolia scanned around for any signs of damage, but the stage and nearby areas looked unscathed. Half the crowd laid peacefully on the floor, courtesy of Agnès. Yu raised his staff and casted an Esunaga, and the mass of people slowly rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.

"Huh...what was I doing…?" The announcer wobbled to his feet. A few people massaged the back of their heads. The other contestants poked their heads out from the solid curtain. Awkward seconds ticked by in silence.

"So...umm...next contestant?"

...

"Hey, Magnolia, I'm sorry for suddenly imposing this on you." Edea played with her fingers. The girl in the black dress shook her head. "No, it's okay. Besides, it was a different experience for me, and I had fun, even though I was quite nervous up there." Both of them laughed, calming the competitive aura between them. The shepherd's fiancée breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." Tiz rubbed his head, almost embarrassed that he stood still during the entire ordeal. "I'm glad that you three are okay. It's quite a scare watching your fight." Yu nodded in agreement.

"Hehe...sorry. I did make preparations for this." Tiz let out an exasperated groan. "On that note, how in the world did you find that?! I thought for sure it was burned…" Edea struck a victory pose.

"Apparently, the sage really liked the Bravo Bikini, because it's made out of flameproof material." Now Tiz really stumbled back in shock. Agnès's face couldn't be any redder. "Such is its terrible power…" she quoted.

"Everyone, thank you for your patience. We are ready now to announce the winners." Agnès felt the rivalry light up again in the two light-colored haired women, and she gently backed up into Tiz's arms. He lightly wrapped them around her, blinking at the serious glares of the two.

"I don't plan on losing, Magnolia Arch!"

"The same goes for me, Edea Lee!"

All the contestants piled onto the stage, forming a straight line next to the man with the microphone. He launched into a somewhat dry speech about the festival's recent changes. And after a few minutes of this, he pointed the microphone at the audience, explaining that the winner will be crowned by the loudest applause.

When it was Edea's turn for judgement, wolf whistles echoed through the city, putting Edea in the lead. She accepted her praise with a flick of her bangs. Magnolia began to fidget under the pressure.

"Now then, next is Magnolia!" Some clapping and energetic shouts were given, but it didn't match the volume of Edea's applause. Magnolia flashed a bittersweet smile.

The judging round took only a few more minutes, but the winner was obvious. Edea was announced the winner for Flower Girl, while the lively boy that started the competition won Flower Boy. The Eternian cheered with happiness. The audience clapped excitedly as the winners stood up front. Magnolia stood among the defeated, half-heartedly clapping for her scantily dressed companion.

" _Too bad, I guess. And to think I actually had a chance…"_

 **Later that night…**

"Oh, Magnolia. There you are." The mentioned person turned from the bunny cosplay statue to Yu, who was hiding his hands behind his back. "Yu…why are you up so late?" The white mage went by her side, absentmindedly admiring what little light the stars above gave in contrast to the blinding lights on the streets. "I could ask you the same. Are you okay?" he asked in a soft voice. She nodded slightly; the frown on her face did not lessen in the slightest. "I will be. I have to admit, it was a bit embarrassing…"

Yu shifted nervously. He usually didn't pay attention to the way Edea or Magnolia dressed (or Agnès for that matter), but experiencing them fighting over their assets left him speechless with bright red cheeks. "Umm...Magnolia, I have something for you." He revealed a pure white poppy from his covered hands. In turn, Magnolia gasped at the flower.

"I found it in the nearby fields while we were on our way here. I thought it would be a good time to give this to you. Here you go." He gently placed it into the girl's cupped hands, breaking into a grin at her surprised face.

"Oh...it's beautiful, Yu. Thank you." She twirled the small plant, examining the similarly shaped petals around the pollen stem. "I'm glad you like it. Well...I better go back to the inn. Today was...an exhausting day. Good night, Magnolia." She watched her love run back to the hotel. Her gaze went back to the pale bloom in her hand, and she grinned softly at his gift.

From behind the bunny-girl sculpture, Edea peeked at her blushing friend. She giggled as Magnolia grasped the poppy closer to her heart.

" _Worked like a charm!"_

She chose this time to make herself known. She energetically shouted, "Magnolia! What do you have there?" The mentioned girl jumped at her name. "Ah...Edea. How did dinner go for you?" she greeted. Edea held multiple take-outs out for her to see. "Very satisfying. It's been so long since I had food in Florem. On another note, who gave you that flower?" Magnolia stayed silent for a while. "Oh...umm...Y-Yu did…" she stuttered.

Edea's smile widened. "That's just like Yu to give you flowers. And especially that kind of flower…" Magnolia tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?" Her companion only gave her a sly grin.

"In Luxendarc, each flower has a different meaning to them. You could call it...the language of flowers." And with that statement hanging in Magnolia's mind, Edea flicked her blonde hair and headed back to the inn.


	3. What They Missed

**Chapter 3: What They Missed.**

Shortly after the incident in Florem, Magnolia managed to master the Summoner asterisk. What joy she felt when she could summon the soothing, elegant Amaterasu now with ease!

Once her training was complete, her mind became occupied with Edea's sentence of flowers and their meanings. What else could they mean, other than the notion of marriage? To find the answers, she decided to spend a few days in Istantal, searching through the extensive collection of books within Norzen's observatory.

When she got to the city, a wave of nostalgia hit her. She couldn't place a finger on what it was, but something always bothered her about Istantal. Nevertheless, the desire to learn overpowered the nagging thought, and Magnolia rushed to her destination in an energetic run.

"Norzen-sama, good morning!" The elderly man raised an eyebrow at the peppy youngster. "Good morning, Magnolia. What brings you all the way here?" "Ah...about that...do you happen to know anything about flowers and their meanings?" Norzen stroked his long beard, humming at her question. "I'm not an expert at botanical languages. How about I ask one of the students here?"

Eventually, a timid girl was called upon to help sate Magnolia's appetite. In the short time she spent with the girl, she never realized how vast her topic is. From flowers with contrasting meanings to color symbolism, Magnolia studied well into the night. When she finally decoded what Edea meant by Yu picking a particular flower for her mood that night, she sat back in pleasant surprise.

When she got to her name and its meaning, a blush unwillingly formed on her face. Of course, she knew Yu didn't mean it at the time, but it filled her with joy to know that magnolias stood for beauty and love of nature.

Meanwhile with Edea, she was able to get the Orthodoxy headquarters to hold the ceremony. Her long battle with the old priestesses was won (honestly...this was Agnès who is getting married...they would think to let her use the building for their former pope), and she could move on to more pressing matters (like that wedding cake…).

In the village of Norende, Tiz Arrior stretched his arms as he supervised his newly acquired herd of sheeps. His fiancée was clueless on how to raise the wooly animal, and the first few days were spent teaching her how to properly care for one. Agnès was an eager learner, and Tiz couldn't remember the last time he felt so blissfully happy.

As for Yu, he continued his duties as the protector of the Crystal Orthodoxy. Reunited with Jean and Nikolah, they remade their bonds, now stronger than ever. Most of his days were spent carrying out small errands while working alongside the various members of the duchy of Eternia. At the end of the day, his older brother would be waiting at home, greeting his younger sibling with fulfilled relief. The first time this happened truly shocked Yu. How did Denny come back after banishing Diamante?

When Yu launched himself into his arms, Denny rocked the crying knight, he himself feeling tears in the back of his eyes. Reunited at last, it seems...

Life was peaceful for Luxendarc. Except in one city of beginnings...

...

Magnolia hummed as she dragged a take out from the noodle shop in Istantal. Nighttime glittered the darkened sky with bright stars. People were closing up stores and heading off to their homes. The last Ba'al Buster started off to the inn, reciting the lesson she had recently learned from her shy mentor.

Upon opening the door to the red building, she spotted shuffling movements in the corner of the lobby. A grumble and harsh whisper was exchanged in the barely lit darkness. Someone mentioned something about going to bed, and the rustling of clothes grew louder. The person stepped out, revealing Jean Engarde with somewhat sleepy eyes.

"M-Magnolia?! Why are you here?" The fencer's drowsy state was broken, replaced with friendly alert. "I could ask you the same," the exhausted floral student shot back. The other occupant in the room walked into the faint light.

"Jean, what's the matt-" Einheria snapped her mouth shut when her vision perceived Magnolia. "Ah...Magnolia. Turning in for the night?" The younger female nodded. "Y-yeah. Just a little tired from the previous nights." Einheria patted Jean on the shoulder, and the blue-haired knight visibly slumped. "We'll track it tomorrow. I'm sure Artemia will have something by then." The spear-wielding woman headed up the stairs, probably off to contact the ranger about her whereabouts, leaving Jean with a confused Magnolia.

"Back to my earlier question. Why are you here?" Jean asked. Magnolia shifted restlessly under his glare. "I...was studying."

"Studying? Studying what?"

"Flowers, and their possible meanings."

"Really? What for?"

"Oh...just out of curiosity."

Jean tossed his bulky hair, obviously not convinced by her answer. "I highly doubt you would dedicate yourself to something as tedious as studying unless something sparked it. Didn't Yu say something about how you don't particularly like the idea?" She reluctantly nodded at his statement.

" _Yu talks about me?"_ she thought curiously. Outwardly, she replied, "I guess...the real reason is that…"

Magnolia described the Sacred Flower Festival that happened a couple of weeks ago, including Edea's victory with the exquisite Bravo Bikini and the flower Yu gave after her defeat. Jean listened well, occasionally backing into his seat when something bizarre popped up in her retelling. By the end of it, his tired body leaned back fully into the comfy chair. "That Yu...finally making a move, huh?" he mumbled to himself. Magnolia tilted her head in confusion. Upon looking at her expression, he once again shook his mane. "No, nothing. But, who would have thought Edea was that…" Both quietly sighed at the blonde's boldness.

Now it was Magnolia's turn to inquire on his reason for being here. "So, Jean, what kind of business do you have in Istantal?" A listless huff was given, followed by the crossing of arms across his chest. "Apparently, there has been a disturbance in the nearby desert that's causing unnatural sand tornadoes. They originally wanted the Three Orthodox Knights to investigate the issue, but Yu is busy with his brother's parole and Nikolah-san was sent to Ancheim to help negotiate with the prime minister over some sort of trade business. Einheria, Artemia, and I had nothing much to do, so I guess...here I am. Artemia went on ahead to scout the surrounding area, so once she comes back, we may have a general idea of what we're dealing with."

Magnolia's heart beat sped up a tiny bit. More unusual sightings? Surely, this could be the work of demons. _"Shouldn't they have disappeared? After Diamante was sent away…"_ She closed her eyes, deciding that her lessons could wait a week or so.

"If you don't mind, I'll join you. Four people are better than three, after all."

Jean did not expect her instant involvement. "W-what?!" he lamely replied. The currently equipped freelancer giggled. "So, will you? I can offer support, since there seems to be enough heavy hitters with you," she added. The fencer gauged the good and the bad of the situation. Finding that she would do more good than harm, he reluctantly gave her his approval.

"Okay then. We leave early in the morning. It's best if you rest up now."

 **Party Chat: Disturbances in the Desert.**

Jean: "Have Artemia come back yet?"

Einheria: "Not yet. I imagine she won't be back for a while."

Magnolia: "So, what do you think is causing the tornadoes?"

Einheria: "I don't think I know any monsters around here that can make these miniature storms while hiding in the sand."

Jean: "Hmm...I have a bad feeling about this..."

Magnolia: "Jean? Did you say something?"

Jean: "A-ah, no, I didn't."

Einheria: "..."

Magnolia: "You know, it feels off not seeing you with Yu and Nikolah, Jean. If I was someone who didn't know about your involvement with the Empire, I would think you guys have been together since the beginning."

Jean: "Yeah, it does feel empty without them. I never considered that our bonds were as strong as they are."

Magnolia: "Well, it's a good thing Yu is so forgiving. It sort of feels...almost natural that the three of you have such a unique connection."

Jean: "I'm grateful for Yu's compassion. Truly, I am."

Magnolia: "It's like...I experienced this before..."

Jean: "Huh?"

Einheria: "Hmm..."

…

Magnolia tested the fabric of her red mage outfit by bending to the side. It's been awhile since she acted as the main supporter. Fortunately, she happened to bring along her time mage and red mage asterisk for the fight. As Artemia prepared the last of their supplies, Jean glared at the vast dry landscape that drew a border with the civilized town. He had a bad feeling about this from the start, and the dread only increased when he let Magnolia join. Why couldn't he shake off the awful feeling that something will be triggered, whether anyone would like it or not?

"It's time we go. Artemia discovered the source of the sandstorms, so let's not waste time," the oldest sister urged.

"Let's go."

All four were no stranger to the difficult terrain, although Artemia and Einheria were the least experienced in open, barren grounds, having spent most of their time in Florem during their deployment in the Bloodrose Legion and in cold, snowy Eternia after the closing of the Great Chasm.

The group troweled through the sand, hoping to find some sort of disturbance in the smooth layer. They felt the wind pick up, and several minor whirlwinds shot sand into their eyes.

"Artemia can't see," the hunter complained. Einheria raised a gloved arm to her eyes. Warning signals rang in Jean's mind. "This...I know this feeling!" Magnolia shouted in disbelief. Her glare challenged the spiraling tornado. "No doubt about it. A demon is here." She assumed her battle position; she swung her lance over her shoulder. "I won't let you get away!" Her other companions gripped their weapons uneasily.

What spawned was a black spider with fluorescent blue light running along its body.

Magnolia could only stand paralyzed at the monster. " _No way...why? Why is this still alive?!"_ In her confusion, she forgot to realize that she didn't pursue the monster in this reset.

Jean was shocked over his own reasons. The choking constriction in his heart came full circle. His head exploded with pain, like something wanted to cut itself to freedom. The fencer collapsed to his knees, crushing the hilt of his sword. _"What...what is this pain?"_ After a few seconds of agonizing strain, he stumbled back to his feet.

"Magnolia, default!"

Einheria had spirit barrier up, acting as the tank for the rapidly deteriorating group. Artemia tried her best to draw the attention of their opponent, but it looked dead set on Jean and Magnolia. The red mage barely registered the Valkyrie's words, wobbling to a defensive stance in the nick of time.

"Get a grip, you two! Magnolia, give Artemia Cura now!" The ordered woman nodded and raised her katana, feeling her magic work towards the slightly beat-up ranger. "Artemia can hunt again!" she cried. Instantly, she braved four times before firing off consecutive Insect Hunters. Jean gritted his teeth, and he pointed his sword at the spider, taking his wolf stance.

It was a long battle. With Jean only able to attack once every stance and Magnolia split between healing Artemia and Jean, damage came slow. All were running out of stamina, and options were running out. Magnolia slowly reached into her pocket, bringing out a familiar hourglass.

"Looks like I have no choice!" The background faded to gray as she unleashed the SP inside.

"Bravely Second!"

Once those words were spoken, Jean's head pulsed. The pain strangled the breath out of him, and he collapsed on the cold black floor.

" _Magnolia Arch!"_

" _Do not make eye contact with her..."_

" _Hey, don't ignore me!"_

" _Don't tell me you're our…"_

" _Good Gravy! That's right!"_

" _Are you serious?"_

 _..._

" _That's right. Now that we found Magnolia, we can inform Agnès about it."_

" _Agnès?"_

" _You don't know Agnès? How odd…"_

" _I-I know, I know. O-o-of course I know about her."_

 _..._

" _I just need to protect, after all."_

" _Eh? Umm...uh...oh…"_

" _Oi, Nikolah-san. Why do I feel like we're being left behind..."_

" _Mm...This atmosphere is wonderful."_

 _..._

" _Doing well! Yu, how about it?"_

" _What is it!"_

" _About that guy…"_

" _Even so, that was scary~"_

" _Ah, it's alright. How are you feeling? Yu?"_

" _Very well!"_

"..an! ..ean! Jean! Wake up, Jean!" The fencer squinted before opening his eyes to a pale Magnolia. Artemia was absent from the scene, but Einheria expressed the same amount of worry as the red mage.

"Jean! Thank goodness! You wouldn't move even after Esuna!" She felt Jean's pulse on his wrist, relieved that he retained a steady beat. The splitting headache dulled to merely diminishing thuds. He stood up, registering the soft sand under his feet, rather than a solid black floor.

"Hnng...What...happened…?" His voice was hoarse. Moving his throat to speak was difficult. When he assumed his casual position, he cringed as a jolt of pain sprinted up his back.

"Jean, are you okay? What happened back there?" Magnolia desperately asked.

"I...had a bad feeling about this from the start...but I didn't think it would be this bad…" Artemia was back now, securing a handful of herbs from the city. "Eat herb. Good for head," she insisted. He graciously accepted them, putting them in his pocket for later use. "Thank you." Einheria held her stern expression. "Well, the monster was defeated. I will personally make the report to Edea. Please, take care of yourself while I'm gone." In a whisper, she murmured, "That includes you, Magnolia."

As the Valkyrie walked away with her sister in tow, the two former enemies eyed each other in remorse. As if the shock finally came to him, Jean slowly knelt down to the ground. Magnolia remained totally confused over his state.

" _Was all of it a dream? No, they were too vivid to be dreams. Then, memories? But I don't remember that these things ever happened..."_ Suddenly, his headache came back with a vengeance, and Jean once again collapsed to the sandy ground.

"Jean! Jean! Jean!" Magnolia chanted. He wouldn't stir, and so Magnolia dragged him over to Istantal, immediately seeking aid from the inn they were staying in.

"Please, Jean! Hang in there!"

…

Something bright flashed wickedly into Jean's tired body. He gritted his teeth, feeling the light fade away a tiny bit. Blue-green eyes adjusted to the sudden shift in brightness, and he could make out a familiar ceiling.

"Jean, thank goodness! How are you feeling?" Jean sat in his bed for a moment. Wasn't that Yu's voice?

The leader of their group was indeed there next to his bed. Nikolah stood nearby with Magnolia, who just entered the room with a tray in her hands. All were frowning with concerned interest.

"Yu...why are you here?" Yu's frown grew bigger. "What do you mean? You just collapsed out of nowhere. Of course I'll come and help you!" Jean turned away from his companions. He felt fine now, but what to do with his realization?

"I'm okay now, Yu. Thank you. You too, Nikolah-san. I guess I caused a lot of worry." Their frowns did not disappear, but Yu backed away from his side. Magnolia set the tray on the desk by his bed with slow steps. She didn't meet his eyes.

As if sensing her inner turmoil, Jean patted her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Magnolia. I bet you weren't focused in that fight as well." A hesitant nod. Relief flooded her, and she gratefully watched Jean climb out of his bed.

"If you're good to go, Jean, how about we get some breakfast?" Yu asked while Jean drank a cup of water. He nodded once, and Nikolah caught the look in the fencer's eye. The bishop cleared his throat. "Alright. There's this one restaurant that just opened up that's really good. Who wants to try it?" The three of them gave their approval with Magnolia sprouting her usual happy smile.

 **That night...**

Nikolah found Jean standing on the bridge, looking out at the faraway stars in the sky.

"So, what really happened, Jean? I'm inferring that Yu shouldn't know of this." The bishop saw Jean's face struggle with conflicted thoughts.

"Yes, he shouldn't know because he doesn't remember."

"What do you mean?"

Jean faced the older man, and he stumbled back at the seriousness of his ally.

"We have much to discuss, Nikolah."


	4. Under a Fire and a Night Sky

**Chapter 4: Upon a Fire and a Night Sky…**

The sounds of sizzling meat popped the silent, dark layer. With each pop, waves of fragrant aromas taunted nearby creatures of their goodness. The cook, Tiz, hummed a tune that reminded him of the old times, when he was merely a boy trying to protect his ray of hope. The nearby village of Norende was quiet, and the stars above were blocked by a familiar shade of orange.

"Neh, Tiz, are you almost done?" whined Edea.

"Yes, almost done!"

Agnès looked around excitedly. "So this is Yu's tent. Truly interesting..." The youngest of the group merely smiled. "Thank you, Agnès."

Edea clapped her hands, ready to devour Tiz's simple cooking. "Well I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Tiz! Hurry up!" In seconds, the Norende miracle arrived with three plates on his arms. "Here, Edea. Try to be more patient next time." She absentmindedly muttered an apology, too absorbed by the delicious dish before her.

"Time to eat!"

Agnès gratefully accepts her plate and began to chew the vegetables. "Wow! This is really good!" Tiz lit up brightly. "Ah, thank you, Agnès. I haven't cook in a while so..." Magnolia patted him on the back. "I have to say, eating Tiz's cooking is something!" The shepherd sheepishly scratched his head. "Please, it's nothing special." Everyone sported small grins at the embarrassed chef.

"Oh, that's right. Edea, how is the wedding going?" Tiz asked. Agnès sensed the underlying anticipation in his voice, and she couldn't help grinning at his eagerness. "Amazing, actually. I already found the place, the dresses, and I replaced the wedding cake. All that's left are the invitations and Tiz's formal wear. We can't have our lucky guy in overalls, after all." Tiz frowned at Edea's statement, but she didn't notice it, as she was too busy devouring the tasty food in front of her.

"Mmm...so good~ Neh, Tiz, can I have seconds?"

"Eh? But we only packed enough for one meal per person."

"Wah?! You should know that I always want more!"

"Edea! I'm not exactly floating with money here!"

Agnès laughed at their bickering. Looking around the comfy tent, she commented, "It must be nice to travel with this in your possession. It felt so long since I went on a journey..." Agnès's smile turned bitter, turning away from her meal to glare at the floor.

"Agnès…" Tiz murmured.

Edea seated herself next to the former wind vestal. Sobs shook Agnès's figure, and she flew into Edea's arms.

"I'm...sorry. I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous...thank you for giving me the chance to sleep in your tent." She shook less now, but her head was still covered by yellow hair. "Of course you can sleep here. I never had the opportunity to spend time with you like this, so this is a new thing for me, too," Yu assured, but his frown didn't shrink in the slightest.

The food is now cold as everyone stared morosely at the crying girl. "Agnès...maybe you would like to share some of your adventures with us." The retired pope looked up to Magnolia with grateful joy. "Right...I suppose I should. You probably don't know the full story of our travels two years ago, huh?"

And so, she launched into an array of colorful, intricate collections of stories from her journey to awaken the crystals. Tiz and Edea often pitched in their thoughts, and Yu and Magnolia stayed planted on the earthen floor, listening with attentive ears.

"And the time Ringabel and the sage wanted Agnès to wear the Bravo Bikini for the Sacred Flower Festival? That old geezer wondered whether Tiz had any fire in his blood." Edea chuckled at her sentence. Magnolia and Tiz brightly flushed, but the most embarrassed was Yu; both head and ears were stained a brilliant red.

"A-A-Agnès in that?! N-no way!" He backed up slowly, trying to refrain from imagining her in that skimpy suit.

The oldest of the group frowned. "Yes, I remember. I'm afraid I still don't understand what sex appeal really is." Tiz quickly shouted, "That's okay, Agnès. You don't need anything like that anyway!" His fiancée tilted her head in confusion. "If you say so, Tiz..." Her attention was then turned to Magnolia, who was still blushing, her head hiding behind her face.

"Magnolia, what's wrong?" she addressed. The flower-wearing girl only shook her head, muttering, "Nothing. Nothing at all. Can you continue your story?" Sensing her discomfort, Agnès fulfilled her silent plea, picking back up to when they first traveled across worlds.

By the time she got to Airy's betrayal, the outer world was pitch black, with only the sound of a nearby river providing some sort of presence. All three former Warriors of Light shivered as Agnès retold their fight with the cryst-fairy.

"How horrible. With Magnolia and me, we knew right away the fairy Nii-san was with was evil," Yu commented. Tiz found the floor intriguing now. "We couldn't mope over our failure. We had to keep going. That's what I told everyone. We had to stop Airy," he continued, "We found Airy was lurking in the Dark Aurora, waiting for her new powers from Ouroboros."

"That's different from the barrier we went through to get to Vega, right?" Magnolia asked. Tiz nodded in response. "Yes. And there...we fought Airy in her final form, but before we finished her, she...was swallowed by her master." Yu and Magnolia gasped in horror, silent over the sudden information.

"..."

Agnès chose to intervene in his explanation. "That's right. And after speaking with him...we fought him. But he kept regenerating...by destroying the worlds that Airy connected in her quest." The newest members of the group grew more horrified. Finally, Magnolia spoke out, "That's...terrible! Were their worlds recreated?! I can't imagine the fear, the sadness of..." The mood darkened significantly. Airy was always a touchy topic with them.

"I don't know what happened to them, but we managed to defeat him. We succeeded in saving the multiple worlds that we could save. And after that...we returned to our regular lives..." Tiz trailed off. It was clear that he didn't go back to Norende. He instead faced his death as he released the celestial being inside of him.

"Tiz..." Edea murmured. Agnès placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, looking at him with unspoken regrets. "I assume you know the rest," Edea implied. Yu nodded slowly.

"Yes, afterwards, the Crystal Orthodoxy and the duchy of Eternia worked on repairing the damage caused by that incident. It really was a surprise when I first saw Agnes and Edea's father walking side by side without any hostile intent. At the time, I was working my way up the ranks of the Orthodox Knights. After being promoted to leader…I got my first..." Yu stopped there. Everyone else leaned a bit closer to the knight.

"How odd...I...don't remember what my first mission was…But how? It was the most important quest of my life."

Magnolia gripped his shoulders; the distress was evident on Yu. "In fact, I don't clearly remember anything up until Nii-san attacked us and kidnapped Agnès…" The former pope rocked in her seat, trying to recall what she assigned Yu at the time. "If I remember correctly, you were in Istantal, right? Jean and Nikolah were there also." The soon-to-be-wedded woman scrunched her eyebrows. "Oh my...even I don't remember what happened that day…"

Edea sported her own frown. "Agnès, surely something must come to mind." The retired pope leaned into Tiz's chest, digging deeper into her mind. "I...can only see...Yu talking to me when he first started out...and...being introduced to someone...but I don't recall his or her face." Tiz, who now had his head on Agnès's shoulder, hummed, blowing some of her hair to the front. "Agnès, you usually have very good memory…" She bowed her head down.

The other two females in the vicinity couldn't stand the atmosphere of impending dread. Edea coughed, "Neh, Tiz, do you have any desserts?" He nodded and stood up, proceeding to start cooking again. "What do you feel like having, Edea?" The Eternian swayed, her face lighting up once she made her decision. "Cake. Strawberry shortcake please." Magnolia pitched in, "Ah, give me a slice, too." Yu snapped out of his gloomy mood and instantly turned beet red.

"Yu, what's the matter?" Agnès questioned. He could only look away, claiming it was nothing.

While Edea and Magnolia sat patiently for their sweets, Agnès and Yu proceeded to rack their brains for any other piece of information regarding what was that fateful encounter. The tent once again entered a moment of silence.

As if unconsciously, all of the sudden, Yu muttered, "...flower…"

Heads immediately snapped at that one word. Magnolia mimicked his phrase, "Flower…?" Yu nodded. "I just remembered it. There was a flower and an overwhelming amount of sadness...but I don't know what that flower is, or why I feel so sad…" He gripped the ends of his hair and pulled slightly, upset over his lack of memory.

"Why can't I…"

"Everyone, sorry for making you wait."

Tiz walked back to a hardly comfortable group, but the instant Edea saw the delectable treat, she shot up, grabbed the plate out of his hands, and swallowed half of it before anyone could say anything.

"Mmm...ngr...hum...mm…!"

Agnès giggled despite herself. "I bet it's tasty, Edea. Tiz, may I have a slice?" As he handed her portion to his eager lover, Yu sat wide-mouthed. "You can understand Edea, too?!" Agnès grinned at his astonishment. "Yes, of course." Magnolia and Yu staggered back in surprise. "That's Agnès for you…" they muttered in unison.

Once Edea was satisfied with her fill (she took Yu's slice, seeing how he couldn't look at it without blushing), the rest of the group settled back to silence.

"Ah...let's talk about something else…" Edea pitifully choked out.

Tiz closed his eyes, raking his head for something worth noting. "Ah, that's right! Edea, you remember the special moves, right?" She nodded in confirmation. He went on, "Now that I think about it, isn't the music that played different from when we journeyed to awaken the crystals?" Edea opened her mouth in shock. "That's right...I don't remember having that much guitar in my other theme…"

Magnolia sat in confusion, turning her head to face Agnès. "Huh...they were different before?" Edea's hair swung back and forth as she nodded. Agnès rested her head on her hand. "Is that so? It would be great if I could hear it." Displaying a smile that melted the former vestal's heart, Tiz energetically added, "Ah, we could do some special moves tomorrow then. There's bound to be some monsters on the way. There are also special moves that you never seen before, Agnès, so umm...if you don't mind…" His fiancée giggled at his bashfulness. "Of course, Tiz." Edea swooned at the two, and Magnolia giggled herself at the pair. Yu has a silly grin on his face. "Oh by the way, Agnès, don't you have your own theme?" Yu asked.

"Yes. I wonder if it'll still…" Edea interrupted her, "Of course it'll work! It's been so long since I heard it." Agnès joined the group of smiles. "Yes, I'll try my best!"

"I wonder how Tiz's and Edea's old themes sounded like…I remember Ringabel's when he assisted us with our fight with Yoko." Yu thought out loud.

"Why don't we find out?"

Everyone turned to the shepherd as he rummaged through their traveling packs. He brought out a flute and a saxophone.

"Umm...Tiz, how and why are those in our bags?" asked a confused Yu.

Magnolia did not know these unfamiliar instruments and curiously examined it from her seat. "Neh, Tiz, what are these?" He pressed down a few keys on the flute. "These are instruments in Luxendarc. You blow in this one," he gestured to the flute in his hand, "and press a different combination of these keys in order to make sound. Each one is different and some don't necessarily need air for it to work." Tiz blew a quick scale to warm up, while Edea fingered some notes on her saxophone.

"It's been too long since I heard Tiz and Edea play. How long was it since...?" Agnès pondered over her unfinished statement, prompting Tiz to laugh and peck her cheek. "Almost three years, Agnès." Everyone seemed to have their eyes on him now, and he shifted nervously.

"Neh, Edea, why don't you go first?"

"Why should I go first?"

"I thought maybe yours would be more interesting."

"Well...if you say so…"

The captain of the Eternian Imperial Guard pressed the reed to her mouth and blew a tentative note. It came out flat, and Edea played another note, this time more confident and round.

"Here I go!"

The tent became filled with a tune of soft, innocent resolve. As Edea played, Tiz and Agnès swayed their heads to the beat, while Yu and Magnolia sat wide-mouthed. It started out slow and almost tentative, but it quickly turned into an upbeat, energetic tune, mirroring the growth of a little bird.

Once she finished, she received a very energetic round of applause from Magnolia. "Good gravy! That was really good, Edea!" The saxophone player merely gave a huff. "Thank you, thank you!" Agnès once again giggled, this time at Magnolia's enthusiasm. "It was as beautiful as I remembered. So pretty~" she praised.

Yu turned his attention to the flute player. "Tiz, now I really want to hear yours! Please, Tiz!" The older male chuckled at his fan's excitement. "Okay, okay. I got it."

When Tiz played the first few notes, Yu was instantly reminded of a countryside with little villages and little livestock. The flute's crisp tones spread to the ends of the tent. Yu thought it was fitting for Tiz when he first started out.

"Amazing! It totally fits you!" Magnolia lauded. "Yes it does. That's Tiz for you!" Tiz rubbed his head at Yu's compliment. "Ah, thank you. I was afraid that I would forget a couple notes here and there." Edea yawned not-so-subtly, falling back on her section of the tent. "Well...tonight was tiring. I'm going to sleep so I can kick some monsters tomorrow." With that, she collapsed, lightly snoring.

Soft mumbling from the sleeping woman floated like the fire in the center of the tent. Magnolia, Yu, and Agnès stared at the fire quietly, while Tiz laid his head onto Agnès's shoulder, already passed out.

"Neh, Agnès?" Yu started after a moment.

"Yes, Yu?"

"Do...you find our lack of memory...disturbing?"

The retired pope turned away from the flames and instead lifted her head to the covered sky. "Of course I do. As tiring as it was to be in my position, never have I once forgotten the steps I took to attaining peace with the duchy of Eternia. Why this would be erased...I do not know."

Another uneventful silence.

"Yu, should I tell you what happened with Jean the other day?" Magnolia attempted to change the conversation. A fragment of worry and curiosity shattered his dreadful expression. "Yes, please do. I'm quite disheartened that Jean won't tell me exactly what's wrong."

Magnolia explained how she was studying the various meanings of flowers in Istantal (to which Yu was left shocked. Didn't she particularly prefer to avoid studying?) when Jean and his companions bumped into her. She elucidated their mission, and her desire to help them solve the disturbances. When she got to the actual fight itself, she hesitated.

"What was causing the discrepancies wasn't a normal monster. It was a demon- the same demon we fought in that slashed up cave."

"W-What?!" Yu blurted. "That's...no way…" Magnolia gravely nodded, answering his unheard question. "I...was paralyzed in shock. Looking back at it, I should have known that we never pursued it when we reset the timeline…" she slumped in mortification before shaking her head and continuing, "Jean, on the other hand, was suffering almost as badly; he kept clutching his head. We were having a difficult time defeating the demon, and I had no choice but to use Bravely Second. And...while I killed it, Jean collapsed to the ground. Once we were a safe distance away, Jean kept looking back with a bothered look on his face." Yu's frown became bigger with each word spoken. He couldn't understand why Jean couldn't tell him at least that much. Did he not trust him?

Tiz started to mumble something about sheep and Agnès moved to place him on his makeshift bed. Before she could slip away, Tiz grabbed her wrist, muttering, "No...Agnès…" The retired pope blushed, turning awkwardly to the other awake occupants. "I-I think we should talk about this another time. Both of you get some rest please," she requested. As the rest of the crew slipped into their blankets, a moonbeam flashed into the tent, and Yu heard a faint female voice,

" _I know we'll meet again...soon...for sure!"_

 **The next day…**

"Alright! I'm ready to beat something to a pulp today!" The Eternian cheered. She sported the pirate asterisk; the giant purple axe she equipped was gripped with fervor. Magnolia chuckled, her signature flower replaced with the feather headpiece of the tomahawk asterisk.

"Oh, Yu, what is this asterisk? The design looks familiar." Agnès wondered as she took in the regal brown coat her lead knight was wearing. "This is the emperor asterisk, the one that Nii-san has." He felt a sense of warmth whenever he wore his brother's job. Maybe he could feel the desire of his brother's dreams and his hopes (or maybe because the coat felt very comfortable).

"Agnès! Which asterisk would you like?" Tiz exclaimed, holding out an assortment of orange and black diamond-like gems. Today, he decided to dress in the kitsune asterisk, hoping to experiment with the different summons they gathered. When Agnès first saw him in it, she couldn't help but hug him tightly and coo about how cute he looked, which left him a blushing mess.

She picked at the selection. "Hmm...Eh, what's this?" A bright glow disguised her transformation, and the light cleared away to reveal a blue robe tipped with white stars. A chest piece covered her chest while a blue veil hid her brown hair. Her surprised eyes were framed by a pair of purple round-lens glasses.

"Oh, this is the astrologer asterisk. It provides lots of great support through the power of constellations. I think it pairs well with bishop or time mage," Tiz explained. His ray of hope twirled in her new attire. "It feels rather comfortable," she commented. She pulled out a rod from her bag.

"Hurry up, everyone! We're wasting daylight here!" Edea cried. The others scrambled to catch up to the outgoing pirate.

 **Party Chat: What Ringabel Would Have Said.**

Tiz: "Slow down, Edea! You're going to exhaust your energy if you spend it all in one go."

Yu: "Tiz, do you have trouble catching up with Edea?"

Tiz: "I wouldn't say that I have trouble keeping up with her...more like I'm worried one of us will have to drag her around once she drops."

Edea: "Hey! I'll have you know that I'm filled with limitless amounts of energy!"

Agnès: "Indeed. Edea could fight for days. It's actually quite inspiring."

Edea: "I-I don't think watching me fight is inspirational in any way!"

Agnès: "Nonsense! The first time I saw you fight, I have never seen such passion and rage directed towards an opponent before...except when Ringabel fought DeRosa after you were captured."

Edea: "Oh really? I remembered through my haze of memories that he was unusually tense."

Tiz: "Yeah...he was pretty shaken up about the whole incident."

Magnolia: "So Edea attracts trouble like how women attract Ringabel?"

Agnès: "That sounds...like something Ringabel would say about himself to woo Edea, but then fail horribly."

Tiz: "Sure sounds like it."

…

"Torrent!" A mighty wave crashed down onto a particularly stubborn group of kobold archers. Health was not an issue, as Agnès could heal away any damage they take. However, Edea seem especially blood-thirsty today, and the group is experiencing their fifteenth consecutive mob of these goblin archers.

"Edea! Can we take a break?! Yu looks ready to drop!" Tiz was right, as Yu could feel his legs trembling under the strain. Edea swung the axe behind her shoulder.

"Then let's finish this quickly!" she shouted.

Agnès immediately knew what was coming next. _"A special move?!"_ Just like what Tiz and Edea were talking about last night, a different tune flowed through her head as Edea jumped up, spun the axe, and slammed back down. The shockwave crushed the frail goblins, and their remains lay limp in front of the Eternian.

" _Wow...it surely was a drastic change from her other theme…"_ To Edea, she said, "Amazing, Edea! It sounds like a much more mature style for you!" The pirate laughed sheepishly, enjoying Agnès's enthusiasm. "If you think I've changed, just wait until you hear Tiz's!" Magnolia joined their talk, "That's right! Now that I listened to his other theme, it's really a big change!" Tiz ran his hand through his still-disheveled hair.

"Is it really that different…?"

…

"It's my turn!" Magnolia readied her gun, shifting a few switches before pointing her weapon at the sky. Three shots were fired, and Magnolia changed the direction of her gun to the group of tree-like creatures. She charged up another shot, and when she released it, it broke off into multiple beams of blue light, along with the other three balls of light she fired earlier. Lighting up the field, the cage of energy hit them dead on (quite literally).

Once she finished wiping out the mob of monsters, she was greeted with a starry-eyed Agnès, who gripped her hand firmly with hers. "Amazing, Magnolia! That special move looks so beautiful to watch! Neh, neh, can you teach me how to use that gun?" The others hid their laughs behind their mouths, watching Magnolia's face turn pink at the sudden barrage of compliments.

"Oh...umm...of course, Agnès."

…

"Oh, Magnolia, can I try to use Bravely Second? It's been too long…" Agnès gestured to the hourglass that was clipped on Magnolia's bag. "Of course. I see some monsters over there. Let's go."

Once the group debuffed the monsters enough, Magnolia tossed the hourglass to the astrologer. "Go get them, Agnès!" She nodded, and holding the hourglass to her chest, she shouted,

"Bravely Second!"

The landscape faded to gray. As the retired pope summoned the blade hidden in the depths of her wand, both Yu and Magnolia felt their breath hitch. At first, they were in awe of Agnès's pure and floating notes of her theme, but when she slashed the time-stopped monsters with her blade of light, a sudden pounding in his head broke Yu's speechless state, and he screamed to the heavens. The rest of the group rushed over in a hurry, but he was unresponsive; he already passed out under the pain.

" _Actually, I have a bit of a favor…"_

" _Favor? Us?"_

" _Yes, a favor. To be honest, my homeland needs help with reconstruction."_

" _Reconstruction… like the Norende area…?"_

" _My homeland...is devastated...everyone is helping to rebuild it."_

…

" _Yu, please fulfill my request. Give her a hand please."_

" _Well, if it's Agnès, might as well."_

" _Mmm. Alright ... We'll do anything we can."_

" _Thank you! Everyone! Agnès, too. Thank you!"_

"Yu! Yu! Please wake up, Yu!" Magnolia shook his shoulders, almost on the brink of crying her heart out.

" _I can't lose him! Not like this!"_

Edea tried unsuccessfully to pry the frantic woman off of her lover. Tiz and Agnès could only look with apprehension. After a few seconds, Yu's eyes snapped open.

"M-M-M-M-Magnolia! What are you-" he was cut off by a tight hug from the tomahawk. "Yu, don't scare me like that! The poor boy was blushing profusely at the close contact. "I-I'm sorry, Magnolia. I'll try to not worry you like that again." Despite calming down after his answer, Magnolia kept close to him, getting lost in his pale blue eyes.

"Magnolia?" Edea called. Her voice broke Magnolia's trance, and she stumbled away from Yu. "S-Sorry," she murmured, her face bright red. Letting out a heavy sigh, Yu gripped her hand, grabbing Magnolia's attention.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Magnolia." With that, she felt a light, quivering brush of lips against her lit-up cheeks. Yu pulled away slightly flustered, but his content smile said otherwise.

"Y-Yu?! W-w-what is the meaning of this?!" Their moment was ruined by Edea's _very subtle_ stammering. To her surprise, Tiz laughed and swiped at the bang that covered his left eye. "It's about time, Yu! So, when did this happen?" The interrogated couple turned away from each other.

"I-I-It's a secret!" he managed to reply back. All of the girls, including Magnolia, giggled at his discomfort. Despite her giggling, Magnolia's cheeks was stained a brilliant pink color.

 **That night…**

The tent was silent. Everyone had already gone to sleep, but Yu was up, scribbling away at his journal.

" _And so, everyone knows about me and Magnolia. Granted, the look Magnolia gave me after I woke up sparked an urge too powerful to ignore. However, the vision I saw when I was unconscious felt nostalgic and familiar. Who was this person that needed our help? Why was there a place where my voice was suddenly muffled? That's not the most pressing question, though. What I really want to know is…_

 _Why did I feel so unbearably sad whenever I recall it?"_


	5. What Once Was Now Is

**Chapter 5: What Once Was, Now Is.**

Jean Engarde paced around the giant blue orb stationed in the center of the Council of Six headquarters. Nikolah, on the other hand, stood patiently with his eyes closed. The empty chairs in the room glared at them both, but Jean shook it off as his nerves toying with his preoccupied mind.

He heard the creaking of the elevator get louder, and he took a deep breath. In his opinion, what he was about to discuss was controversial at best.

His guests arrived with wary expressions. The most cheerful (if he could call it that) of the bunch was unexpectedly Kamiizumi, entering with a sort of curiosity rarely seen. Minette stood next to him, out of place from the adults in the room. Geist and DeRosa eyed each other uncertainly, while Praline created as much distance from Amy as possible. The retired pope herself was the last to enter.

"Thank you for coming, everyone. I apologize if I gathered you here under short notice. I'm sure you all have duties to attend to, but hear me out. It has something to do with something I recently...discovered." His last word was hesitant, and Jean shook his head. "No, not discovered...something I recently...unlocked." Former enemies and allies alike were silent.

"I've...remembered some things."

"What does that have to do with us?" DeRosa grumbled. Knowing that he was dealing with some...eccentric characters, Jean gave the simplest answer, "It has everything to do with you. And everyone here, too...except for Minette." The red mage closed his mouth at Jean's blunt statement. The cat-loving child pouted at her exclusion.

"Forgive me, Minette. This really has nothing to do with you, but I don't mind your presence here. You've taken quite a liking to Kamiizumi, haven't you?" The youngest member of the former Empire happily nodded her head in agreement. "Yep. It's fun just being able to fish and sail the oceans, being all carefree…"

" _She retained her quirks. That's good,"_ Jean noted.

Behind him, Nikolah cleared his throat. "Shouldn't we get back to the topic at hand, Jean?" Amy, who oddly didn't speak a word from the moment she stepped into the chamber, managed to crudely point out, "What exactly do you mean when you say, 'It has everything to do with us?'"

" _Okay...if this goes well…"_

"I'm just going to ask each of you a few questions. Please answer honestly and the best that you can." He addressed DeRosa first. "DeRosa, do you remember fighting Nikolah and me along with Yu a year ago? Do you remember talking with us in the desert near Istantal, or even meeting Geist somewhere in the depths of an underground dungeon?" The red mage stroked his chin slowly, eventually shaking his head. "I do not believe so." Geist finally acknowledged the other red-clad asterisk holder in the room. "Hmm. Funny how I don't seem to recall you from anywhere. If I truly have met you, I would remember the shade of red of your...coat." He snickered at DeRosa's appalled expression.

"I'll have you know my coat is the rage with the young women these days. Unlike yours...well...you look like someone who recently bathed himself in blood." Geist let out a tiny growl. "What was that?!" The two men drew their swords; their glares sparked uneasiness with the other asterisk-holders.

"We will not have fighting in this room! Put down your weapons at once!" demanded Agnès. Her voice echoed across the narrow room, providing an echo just as authoritative and powerful as her original command.

Flinching from Agnès's tone, Jean turned away from them to Praline and Kamiizumi. _"I knew it was a bad idea to put those two in the same room…"_ "Ah anyway, Kamiizumi...do you happen to recall a time where you fought us in some ruins? Or, Praline, do you recall holding some sort of sinister attitude towards us?" The idol confidently shook her head, but the swordmaster kept quiet, still sifting through his past memories.

Amy, bewildered by the questions fired by Jean, slightly flinched at his eyes when she was the center of his attention. It searched for something inside of her, matching the intensity of his namesake title.

"Amy, this is the most important answer I have to get. Please think long and hard about my next question." She nodded hesitantly. "Good," he started, "Now, when you kidnapped a child with a few Empire soldiers-" Amy suddenly retorted back, "Now, wait just a second! Since when did I kidnap a child?!"

The room was silent. The occupants looked at Jean with incredulous eyes.

Then, he cracked a smile.

"That's the answer I was looking for."

Everyone staggered back in shock, including Nikolah. "W-what do you mean?" Agnès inquired. Jean breathed out a deep sigh. "The things I remembered...were the events I just asked you about. If you'll give me a moment to explain in further detail..."

As Jean set off to fill the holes of their confusion, Nikolah went back to their conversation with Jean in Istantal.

 _"We have much to discuss, Nikolah."_

 _"I'm...not sure I understand."_

 _"It doesn't make sense to me either. However, I feel like I can confide in you, Nikolah. We have been through a lot the past couple of years..."_

 _"Jean..."_

 _"Enough of that. To make things short, I had some weird visions…No, they weren't visions. Rather, they're recollections."_

 _"Oh...and what may they be of?"_

 _"...Yu's first mission as leader of the Orthodox Knights."_

 _"W-what?"_

" _You heard me right. Try to remember when we were here with Yu a year ago…"_

" _Hmm...Huh...I don't particularly remember such an event. How odd..."_

" _However...there's one thing you shouldn't have forgotten about."_

" _Hmm...Wait, you mean-"_

" _Yes, that moment one night when we found Yu on the bridge with a flower in his pocket."_

" _I-I see, but how is that related to your recollections?"_

" _Everything. I finally remembered why that flower looked so familiar…"_

" _Correct me if I'm wrong...but that flower is a magnolia, right?"_

" _Yes, that's right."_

" _That means...y-you're joking!"_

" _No, I'm not. In fact, it's exactly what you think."_

" _Then, that means…"_

" _There's something that doesn't add up here, and I intend to find out. Nikolah, I need you to contact some people."_

" _O-okay, I understand."_

" _Thank you for letting me share this with you. Now, we need to find these people and tell them to meet us at the chamber of the Council of Six in a week…"_

"That's...quite a tale, Jean." Kamiizumi's remark snapped Nikolah out of his stroll in memory lane. While everyone processed what Jean just told them, Agnès stood still, her face pale and her hands trembling.

"Why are you telling us this, Jean? If you already knew what our response is, then why bother?" Geist slowly asked.

Nikolah addressed the exorcist. "Jean only wants to acquire the reason why we have lost these memories...and the reason why they're coming back. In order to start searching, he has to find any irregularities with his memories and the memories of others. And as of so far, he hasn't found anything abnormal yet." Everyone other than Agnès shifted restlessly. She felt even more out of place than Minette now.

"Jean, can you please tell me what irregularities you have in mind?" He turned to the former pope of the Crystal Orthodoxy. "What I'm looking for are people who remembered something about this event, or any evidence that the incident happened in the first place. But by the looks of it, the one responsible cleaned up their tracks very well." Agnès bowed her head down, her eyes silently switching between shades of brown as she apprehended her choice of sharing what she knows.

"Jean...there's something I would like to share," she requested. The fencer did not expect such a response, and he braced himself for her contribution. "Yes, anything is good at this point," encouraged Jean. She then looked to the ground, a moment's hesitation in her solemn frown.

"Yu and I...were discussing about the very same events just a couple of days ago. It truly troubled me how my memories failed me when I needed them. In any case, Yu said he just remembered something about a flower and an overwhelming sadness associated with it." He crossed his arms after she finished. "Yes, I suspected as much...Yu was supposed to remember that-wait, what do you mean 'just remembered?' He was supposed to have that intact!" The asterisk-holders jumped at his sudden yelp.

She hummed and swayed back and forth, trying to connect the jumbled pieces in her head. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation when the others are dismissed. It seems like this is starting to involve them less and less." The former Empire members especially agreed with Agnès, and they moved towards the elevator.

"Okay, I get it. Amy, Geist, I thank you for listening to what I have to say." The tomahawk turned around. "Jean, if there's one thing that should have happened while I was in the Empire; it is that we should have gotten to know each other a little better. The same goes for you, Geist. Now that I know about what I've missed, it feels a bit odd, knowing about how we may have more contact than I have originally thought." Geist let out his slow throaty laugh. "Jean, if what you say is true...what is the reason we have forgotten these memories?" He could only respond with, "I don't know." He continued, "Before you go, there's something that all of you should know. During this time, there was a fourth person with us. Someone worth taking note of." The exorcist turned back around.

"Who is this person, then?"

Jean closed his eyes and skimmed through his thoughts once more. He had to be absolutely certain.

"This person is well acquainted with everyone here. In fact, you've crossed paths with her many times. Yet, somehow, she has intervened in our world before the Empire kidnapped Agnès." His implications were instantly clear to the shepherd's fiancée.

"No...It can't be..."

It was time to bring forth his suspicions. He nodded at the harsh gasp that Agnès let out.

"Her name is Magnolia Arch."

Upon hearing her name, the room became filled with shouts of disbelief. "W-what?!" exclaimed Kamiizumi. Praline looked around innocently at their stunned expressions. "Eh...you mean that woman in the Sacred Flower Festival that fought me? She's rather plain..." Jean huffed in exasperation.

"Yes, Magnolia. There's no mistake. She has been here." Everyone went silent. How does one process such a bizarre story and accusation?

Fortunately, Agnès was an expert of dispelling awkward silences. "Everyone, thank you for listening to Jean. Now, I'm sure that you have other things to attend to, so please, be on your way. Also, inform Jean about anything you might recall that's important." The asterisk-holders all gave their word, and they headed back to their daily life.

Once most of the people cleared out of the small chamber, Jean and Nikolah faced one close-eyed troubled shepherd. "Agnès, can you please tell me more about your conversation with Yu? It'll give me some answers."

"Of course. A couple of nights ago, when I was retelling my story of the Great Chasm and my journey to awaken the crystals, Yu noted how he doesn't remember his first mission, yet it was an event very important to him. He was very distressed about his lack of memory, but he did remember a flower in his possession…" Jean crossed his arms. "That flower that he was holding...was a magnolia. No doubt about it."

Something nagged at Agnès. Surely, if someone recovered his or her memories...they would tell the person most prominent in them, right? "Jean...why don't you tell Yu or Magnolia about this? They deserve to know."

" _I can't tell her! But...wouldn't it be easier? Agnès did have her share of suspensions thrown at her…"_ Nikolah looked at Jean, whose face scrunched up in concentration over his answer. "Agnès...alright fine. I'll tell you why I'm keeping this from them, but you must not tell Yu or Magnolia." The former pope glared at the fencer. "Is your reason for secrecy so severe as to prompt such actions?" Jean could only nod.

"Agnès, the reason for hiding this from Yu is different than the reason with Magnolia. I'm afraid...one of them is not so pleasant…" He broke eye contact from her, his vision pointed at the cold stone floor. Agnès closed her eyes, hoping she doesn't regret her answer. "I'm fully prepared to listen to these motives," she wholeheartedly affirmed.

Jean gave her a relieved sigh. "Thank you. Now...I'll start with Magnolia. She must not know because…" A flash of hesitation marred his face, but a shake of his head erased it. "Magnolia is in the root of these lost memories. I'm suspecting that she might be hiding something that could cause danger to this world..." He saw Agnès shrink back in shock; her eyes gleamed with an appalled glare. "How...I can't imagine Magnolia ever doing something that could harm Luxendarc! Didn't she defeat Providence with Yu and the others?!"

Nikolah intervened in their conversation. "Agnès, allow me to explain. We had just discovered memories that we should have, but didn't. And...they all revolve around Magnolia. Now why would that be? What is it about her that prompts us to forget? Some possibilities come to mind, but the most logical one is that her presence could trigger unwanted...attention." The way he said the last word oozed with uncertainty, and Agnès shivered in anger.

Jean did his best to calm the rage of his listener, but he wasn't successful. "Ah...that's right. I really don't want to doubt Magnolia, but...there has to be a reason why. And as for not telling Yu...he has grown...attached to her, and I don't want to ruin what they have because of my uncertainty. So, please, Agnès...keep this between us until I'm satisfied with my findings."

She hummed. It seemed wrong to conceal such a heavy accusation, but her experiences with Airy and the sage...it provided enough incentive. "Okay, Jean. I believe in you. Just...whatever you do, I hope it doesn't cause any harm between Magnolia and Yu. They share such a nice bond…"

"Of course. I'll keep you updated with whatever I find."

"Please do."

Silence then creeped into the tense room. Both parties couldn't think of a way to wrap up the discussion.

"Neh, Jean...do you know why Yu felt despair over Magnolia's leave?" Agnès slowly asked. The fencer crossed his arms. "It's possible...that Yu felt more than simple friendship back then." At his answer, she smiled slightly, unbeknownst to the others.

"I...see. Well then, if that's it, I'll be on my way." Agnès humbly bowed before turning around and switching the lever on the lift. As she waited for the elevator to come up, she suddenly recalled a message she had to give.

"Oh, one more thing, Jean. I hope you aren't doing anything of importance soon." A thick eyebrow was raised. "I do not think so. Why?" The retired pope giggled, which caused Jean to worry.

"Edea is thinking about making the Orthodox Knights deliver all of the wedding invites personally. If you don't believe me...wait a few days. Well then, farewell for now." Soon, it was only Nikolah and Jean in the narrow, circular room.

"Jean, did you accomplish what you wanted to do today?"

"To be honest...it left more questions than answers."

Another trip into the quiet sanctum.

"Neh...Should we take Agnès seriously on that note?"

"I highly doubt Agnès is one to joke around on any topic, Jean."

The former Empire member grinded his forehead against his hand.

"Damn it."


	6. Severed Bonds

**Chapter 6: Severed Bonds**

"That Edea...I'm going to get her someday!"

"Calm down, Jean. Agnès did warn us."

"That doesn't excuse her actions!"

Yu sighed at his fellow companions. The city of Guatelatio is still bustling with life, with people rushing to and fro from the Crystal Orthodoxy's main building to the various shops on ground level. Ports loaded traveling ships as they made their daily trips, offering a place for a respite. Earlier that day, just as the three of them were ready to leave the city, Edea called from Yu's communication device.

 _"Oh, Yu! Thank goodness I finally learned to use this contraption!"_ The leader of the Orthodox Knights exchanged a pleasant greeting with the abnormally jumpy woman.

"Hello, Edea. Is there anything you need?" Yu asked politely. Behind him, Jean tensed slightly.

 _"Ah yes, can I speak with Jean for a bit? I just have one small favor to ask him."_ Her voice leaned on the borderline of teasing, but Yu didn't catch it. Nodding once, he handed the device to Jean.

"Yes, Edea?" To Yu and Nikolah, he whispered, "Give me a minute." He walked away from them until he was sure he was out of earshot. "Edea, I already know what you're going to ask me, and I'm not going to do it." The newly-appointed Grand Marshall pouted as his statement. "Oh, do you? Tell me what I was going to request then." He snarled at her "innocent" tone. "You were going to make us take a worldwide trip around Luxendarc to deliver the wedding invites."

Edea chuckled at his slightly angry scowl. "Oh Jean! You make me laugh!" The fencer was not amused. Eternia's Grand Marshall ceased her laughter, and her aura turned a bit dark and menacing. "Jean, you will deliver them for me. I would myself, but duty calls." He groaned, already tired over their fight. "Edea, I don't have time to take a round trip. Please go ask someone else."

Edea was more determined to get her way, however, and she leaned in closer to the screen. "Oh, but Jean, I recently found something very important..." His ears perked up. She couldn't have possibly learned of his plans, right?

"And if you help me with these deliveries...I will tell you what it is." It only took him a few seconds to find out that he was being bribed. "And if I still refuse?" he inquired. The blue-clad leader chuckled some more. "I know you won't refuse. You're too obvious, Jean."

" _She's right. Damn this!"_

The fencer resigned to her. "Okay, fine. I'll do it." She jumped in victory, letting out a girlish cheer. "Oh, thank you, Jean! I'll send a messenger with all of the invites right now!"

"You are still telling me what you know," he grumbled.

"Of course, Jean! Well, stay safe and good luck!" And with that, she cut off the device. The defeated wolf walked back to his team; a very sour frown graced his face.

"Oh, Jean, what did Edea want?" Yu asked. Nikolah only stood patiently. Knowing Jean...he probably lost the argument.

"Ah, Edea wants us to deliver the wedding invites...personally."

Nikolah shook his head at Jean, shooting him a silent message that clearly expressed his disappointment. The fencer turned away from the older man, instead choosing to look at Yu's tiny frown.

"S-she can't possibly make us do that!" Yu denied.

"We have no choice. She was informed of...complicated matters," Jean explained to his reluctant leader. Silently gauging the time it will take to complete their journey, Yu let out a tiny hum as he crunched together numbers in his head. "Well...if we can get a nice boat and pack enough supplies, it shouldn't be too bad." He scanned the city, suddenly aware of their missing parcel.

"So...where are the…"

"Ah, there you are!"

Jean and Nikolah both stepped back in shock, while Yu looked over his shoulder to the source of the voice. "W-who is it?" Jean blurted out.

" _Why does this sound familiar?"_ The bishop crossed his arms at his thought.

"Sorry if I'm late! I had to find a bag big enough for all of these invites," clarified Magnolia. She had an average-sized white bag strapped over her white shrug of the military cadet uniform. A chirpy smile lit her face, and Yu couldn't help but return the gesture.

"Oh, Magnolia, are you our messenger?" The delivery girl stretched her left arm out and answered, "Good Gravy! That's right!" Jean almost let out a choked groan that threatened to catch the attention of the two.

" _It feels like they're purposely doing this!"_

The bishop noticed Jean's slightly appalled glare. He cleared his throat and addressed the former moon resident. "Magnolia, huh...Well, it's nice to see you doing well." The girl in the school uniform lightly giggled, the drooping white petals on her head floating up and down with each giggle. "Yes, it's nice to see you doing well, too, Nikolah. So, everyone, let us head off!" Catching Yu off guard, she grabbed his hand and ran out of the town, leaving Jean and Nikolah in the dust.

"Neh, Nikolah-san. Isn't this sort of coincidental?" questioned an incredulous Jean. The bishop could only shake his head in dismay. "You should seize the opportunity to gain some information then." Jean entered his thinking pose, grumbling intangible words.

"Well...we better catch up to them, then," he finally replied.

 **Party Chat: Edea's Methods**

Yu: "Hey, what exactly is this complicated issue that Edea was informed of?"

Jean: "Ah! It's nothing you need to concern yourself with!"

Yu: "Really? This matter must have been really important if you got persuaded to do her bidding."

Jean: "Yes...she's really persuasive, all right…"

Nikolah: "Frankly speaking, she could be bluffing, and Jean could have fallen into that trap."

Magnolia: "That doesn't sound like Edea though. Sure, her antics are...unorthodox, but she's a very straightforward person. To think she resorted to bribery…"

Nikolah: "Jean is...stubborn, if that's the right word. Maybe her stubbornness overpowered Jean's."

Magnolia and Yu: "That sounds about right."

Jean: " _Thanks for the save, Nikolah-san._ "

…

"We made pretty good progress...I think we covered a good portion of the list today," Yu yawned out. His snug, cozy tent was set up in the deepest part of Junkyou Forest. Jean knew they wouldn't make it to Eternia by nightfall, but they still pressed onwards, and by the time night had settled in, they were too far off the main path to keep going.

Magnolia had already slipped into her dream world, while the knights stared at the oil lamp housing an encased flame within its glass cover.

"Ah...that's good news...I guess." The Zeneolsia heir gave an odd look at Jean. "Is there something on your mind, Jean? You have been...distant lately." He was silent, along with Nikolah. Both knew exposing their suspicions would not mix well with their leader, but when he's so eager to listen…

"Yu...if something precious was taken away from you, would you do anything to get it back?"

The question threw the freelancer off guard. "W-what brought this up, Jean?" Ignoring his shock, Jean pressed forward. "Yu, what would you do?"

Their leader was silent for a moment, but the answer he gave afterwards was absolute.

"I would do anything to get it back, of course."

Satisfied, Jean stated, "Good. That's all I need to know." The frown on Yu's face did not change, however, but he didn't push the subject. "Neh, Jean, it feels like a long time since we fought on the same side. It's giving me nostalgia, even though we're going to be like this for a long time. It's a silly thought, right?" He nervously laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"No, I don't think so. Even I missed fighting alongside you. Right, Nikolah-san?"

"Yes. It has been too long, Yu."

The three men then sent the night recalling their past missions and battles. Strings of memories flooded the quiet tent, and laughter spiraled into the cold, dark night. It truly bonded the three even more, but unconsciously, the three of them avoided talking about their first mission.

Unbeknownst to the knights, Magnolia softly grinned at their recollections, having pretended to sleep just so she could experience what the Orthodox Knights were like without outside interference.

" _They really make a good team..."_

 **The next day…**

" _Come back here!"_ thought an irritated Magnolia as she ducked under a branch. The pack of goblins was faster than she originally thought, already a few feet ahead of her. Behind her, she could hear the distressed cries of Yu and Jean.

"Magnolia, slow down!"

"No, I won't! They took the invites!"

"How did that happen?!"

"I have no idea!"

The four of them continued their chase, eventually crossing across an open plain. "I had enough!" Magnolia whined as she nabbed the thief asterisk from her pocket. A sudden bright light- and her military cadet hid the hoodie and purple scarf. A bow was drawn.

"Special move!"

Her bow was aimed to the sky, and a quick charge was initiated. She let the luminous arrow go, and it streaked the sky with a flurry of white light. When it reached the pinnacle of its flight, the arrow split into countless other rays of light, blocking the group of goblins from advancing. A critical hit, her move struck the mob dead on, and soon, all that remained was her white bag, unscathed and spotless.

"Whew, thank goodness…" she sighed as she grabbed her stolen invites.

The rest of the group witnessed her spontaneous attack in disbelief. "M-Magnolia...is that necessary?" Yu stuttered out. The schoolgirl only shrugged.

"Ah...maybe…" she mumbled into her fist. The three men all huffed exasperatedly.

"You know...we left our tent behind...with all our supplies…" Magnolia, Jean, and Nikolah all stared at Yu, who was shifting back and forth bashfully.

"What?!"

…

"Let's take a break. I'm sure everyone's hungry, considering how we haven't stopped yet," Yu suggested. They're currently situated inside the kingdom of Caldisla, standing outside of the inn.

"Yes, we should. I wonder what kind of food they have here...Ah, how about I go reserve a stay in the inn for tonight." Magnolia suggested. The rest of the group nodded in affirmation, with Jean even offering to accompany her.

"Ah, Yu, could you handle the invites of this town with Nikolah? We'll meet up outside of the inn."

"Of course. Your bag, please."

Once the flawless white bag hung loosely on Yu's shoulder, the group parted ways. The door to the homely inn alarmed the bell attached nearby, and Karl glanced at the two from the corner of his eye. Dropping his book onto his desk, he advanced over to his new guests.

"Ah, Magnolia, is it? Welcome to Caldisla. How may I help you?" the innkeeper greeted.

"Karl, how are you? You don't need to be formal with me," corrected Magnolia. The two soon entered a casual discussion about room arrangements, and Jean stepped outside for a breath of fresh air.

" _Now that I think about it...I'm not very familiar with Caldisla."_

His mind wandered off, and soon, the stone path turned into grass. When he snapped out of his daydreams, he was standing in front of a grave.

"Here lies Til Arrior, beloved brother," Jean read aloud.

"That's right. Tiz's brother was buried here."

The sudden intrusion caught him off guard, and his feet stumbled to regain balance. "Magnolia," he lamely addressed. Magnolia walked almost tentatively over to Jean's side, allowing him to re-enter his thought process.

Once the silence between them numbed their ears, Jean spoke out.

"Did we ever meet before in the past, Magnolia?"

His female companion flickered through a multitude of emotions, rendering her silent. But, as Jean observed her body language, he found her mainly staggering in a failed attempt to regain her posture. To her, the question was so sudden and out of the blue.

" _What? Where did this come from?"_

In the midst of her confusion, Jean tapped his foot irritably. Snapping out of her dazed state, she answered as honestly as she could.

"I don't believe so. Have we met before?"

She didn't catch his flinch. His teeth grinded against each other and his gloves hid the whitening of the skin underneath. Concerned on his lack of response, Magnolia weakly called out his name. Before she could ask what's wrong, she heard Yu shouting her name from a distance.

"Magnolia! Jean! There you are!" Their leader energetically broke their awkward moment. "The invites have been delivered to their respective recipient. So, should we head over to the inn?" Yu failed to notice his ally's distressed state, and he turned to head towards their temporary lounge. As the others went on ahead, Jean stayed behind and glanced sharply at the grave.

"Ignorance is bliss, isn't it?"

…

After weeks of travel, the list of recipients shrunk considerably. The band of deliverers has arrived at their last region, Harena, but getting there was an adventure none of them wanted to recall. The only thing they would be willing to tell is how...troublesome (for better lack of words) it was.

"Only a few more to go, right?" Yu wiped the sweat off of his forehead. The giant clock piece in the middle of the desert city routinely beat with strong ticks, shaking the core of every outsider who isn't used to the clock's almost dreadful countdown.

"Yes. Let's get these invites to their intended destinations and then get to Istantal by nightfall," urged Nikolah. The group split off, with Magnolia and Yu heading to the prime minister's palace, while Nikolah and Jean went to restock their diminishing rations.

"Did you gather anything useful, Jean?" questioned the bishop.

"No, unfortunately. Magnolia denies the notion of ever meeting us, but she could be lying," relayed Jean. Nikolah crossed his arms, hugging his staff into his chest. "What was her reaction when you asked her?" The question threw Jean slightly off-guard, and he stumbled on the stairway leading down to the magic shop.

"Her reaction? She...she…" He faltered at his response. His mind attempted to bring up her demeanor, but to no avail. Before he could respond, the two missing members of their party are already running back.

"We finished this city in such a short time. Last stop, Istantal!" Magnolia cheered, running towards the desert sand with visible vigor.

"She sure is excited today," noted Yu, who laughed nervously when she dashed past the three knights, essentially leaving them behind. Incredulous at her energy, Jean exasperatedly narrowed his eyes at her retreating form.

"It must have been a handful traveling with her, Yu."

"You could say that…"

…

"Here you go, Norzen-sama. I hope you are able to come." The last white envelope of her equally white bag was exchanged with a sort of renewed, yet gentle jubilation. Receiving the invitation with a joy equivalent to her cheery smile, the astrologer graciously accepted the folded envelope.

Outside, the Orthodox Knights discussed plans for dinner. Right now, it is between the noodle shop and that restaurant they tried after Jean's collapse.

Once Magnolia joined back, all of them simultaneously heaved a sigh of utmost relief.

"We finally finished!" cried out Yu.

"Yes, it does seem like everyone on the list is accounted for. So, Magnolia, where would you like to eat? Jean and Yu can go rent a room in the inn and meet up with us later," Nikolah suggested. When Yu opened his mouth to possibly object, he was met with a subtle, but stern glare from the older man. Resigning, Yu and Jean left the group.

Now turning to the bewildered female, the bishop politely asked, "Shall we get going?"

 **Party Chat: Spicy Influence**

Magnolia: "That was really good! I never had a bowl of noodle that was so spicy before!"

Yu: "I'm impressed, Magnolia. Usually, I sweat at the smallest hint."

Jean: "Is it normal to put that much spicy sauce? I could feel the heat from where I sat. That's definitely not normal."

Magnolia: "Well, Edea might have been part of the reason…"

Jean: "Oh?"

Magnolia: "Yeah. I remembered when she made her stuffed hamburger. It was so spicy, but the taste was amazing! I was so fascinated by the sensation that I went out of my way to try all sort of spicy foods."

Yu: " _I definitely remember that...not exactly the best thing I ate…"_

Jean: "Yu, you're making a weird face."

Yu: "I am? My bad."

Magnolia: "An ice cream stand! Yu, can I get one?"

Yu: "Coming, coming…"

Nikolah: " _That woman's appetite can match the bottomless abyss that is Edea's stomach…"_

…

Only one half of the moon is visible. There was little activity on the streets. While everyone slept inside and dreamt of frivolous desires, a lone person standing outside of the borders of the city exchanged glances between the moon and the hourglass in her hand.

"What's happening? I don't know why these things are occurring…"

Magnolia observed the blue sands in her hourglass trickled down slowly. The collapses of Jean and Yu were no mere accidents. Not anymore. Somewhere...somewhere, there has to be an explanation for their sudden blackouts.

"Why…"

"Why indeed, Magnolia Arch."

The acute tone threw her off-guard, and she turned around, her eyes taking in the form of Jean Engarde.

"J-Jean? Why are you up so late?" Her question made him scoff. "I could ask you the same question," he replied. Magnolia switched her attention back to the object in her hand.

"I couldn't sleep. I was trying to figure out some things."

The fencer crept closer to her.

" _Forgive me…"_

He drew his sword.

The sound of unsheathing metal broke Magnolia's trance-like state. This time, she was truly shocked as Jean pointed his blade to her.

"This charade is over."

"Jean, what...why are you…?" The clueless freelancer continued to stare at the polished blade, not knowing how to react, let alone get him to lower his sword. Jean heaved a heavy sigh, one of frustration and disappointment.

"Tell me, Magnolia. What is your purpose now? Why have you remained here, in Luxendarc, when you should have gone back home?"

She didn't answer.

Irritated by her silence, he swung his rapier, demanding her attention. Magnolia remained unfazed, and she continued to avoid eye contact.

"I can't tell you that," she finally responded.

Gritting his teeth, Jean refused to sheath his sword. "Oh really? Then answer me this. When did you first come to Luxendarc?"

This time, her answer came without prompting.

"I first landed in Luxendarc near Eternia. My spacecraft crashed next to a cabin, and that's where I met Yu."

She sounded sincere, but yet...

"Lies…" he somberly muttered.

"Jean, what's with these questions...I don't-"

"Lies!"

Finally succumbing to his emotions, Jean lashed at Magnolia. Thanks to her reflexes, Magnolia was able to avoid taking massive damage from his swipe, but the blade nicked a portion of her sleeve.

"Jean, stop! Why are you acting like this? What did I do to you?"

He hesitated at her last question. By now, her spear had been equipped, and her stance had turned defensive.

Neither side looked ready to yield, but before Jean could move to land the starting blow, one voice broke the atmosphere.

"Jean, there you are! I was looking for you. Apparently Edea wanted you to..." Yu chose this time to notice his two closest comrades ready to engage in combat.

"Wait, Jean, Magnolia, why are you two-" he was cut off by Jean's offhand comment. "None of your business, Yu. Stay out of this." His dismissive tone elicited a narrow frown from Yu. He ran in front of Magnolia and drew his own rapier.

"Please stop. I don't want to see the two of you fight!"

Jean cursed the conditions presented before him. He thought that he would have this interrogation with Magnolia alone. Just get the answers (even if he had to use force), and clear up the situation. But now…

Falling into his wolf stance, Jean growled out, "If you're not willing to move, I will fight you instead." Apparently, Yu had the same idea, for he positioned himself into his normal fighting stance. "I won't let you hurt Magnolia. Not until I know the reason. And since you are unwilling to share...we can do this like before!" The two men charged, metal clashing against metal.

A parry. A thrust to the side. The clashing of steel. Magnolia stared on as the two men continued to battle, each pouring their convictions out only to have them sliced apart. She stood paralyzed, unable to move her legs and interfere with their fight. Her mind cursed at her immovability.

"Tell me. Why do you insist on protecting her?" Jean shouted over the clash of their weapons. Yu could only mash his teeth together. Jean continued his barrage of questions.

"Don't you know what she had done to you? To me and Nikolah, and to a dozen more people?"

Hesitation followed confusion. Yu's stance faltered, and the fencer took this chance to thrust his sword to an exposed part of Yu's chest. The attack was blocked, and both men glared with ferocity unseen before.

"I don't! How am I supposed to know when you won't tell me?!"

They both jumped back. Slightly panting, Jean and Yu wasted precious seconds regaining their breath. And then, supposedly from the confusion and pressure, Yu suddenly blurted out at the top of his lungs,

"I love her!"

The phrase impacted Jean and Magnolia more than the men's fight, for Jean had staggered back at his declaration, and Magnolia was blown away, her mouth opened wide.

"She makes me feel extremely happy. When things were rough, she was there to support me. We have gone through so many things..." Yu adjusted back into his stance. "And I will make sure I don't lose her. Ever." With that, Yu engaged Jean into combat again.

As their fight raged on, Magnolia mulled over Yu's words. It was the first time Yu had purposely spoke of his feelings with another witness. She couldn't imagine what Yu could be thinking right now. The sting of doubt, betrayal, overwhelming confusion. How much longer will she stand and watch her friends tear each other apart?

No, she's the reason for this, and she won't forgive herself if it goes on much longer.

When Jean landed a critical hit, causing Yu to fall to his knees, Magnolia had to move. Now. As Jean readied the blow to end the match, Magnolia impulsively ran in between of the two men. The horror on her lover's face was painful to see, and she instinctively closed her eyes at the sight.

It was too late for Jean to cancel his attack.

And the only thing all three of them could hear was the sound of metal slicing flesh.

"Ahhh!"

She collapsed. His attack had successfully opened a clean gash in her back from her left hip up to her right shoulder, barely missing her neck. Blood dripped down the jagged cut, staining her purple dress to the color of the night sky. When she had the strength to open her eyes, her eyes spotted white petals on the desert sand, sliced in the same way her back was. At the sight of the wilting flower petals, tears began to cloud her vision. She wept, and as Yu tended to her injury, Jean could only look away.

She was not crying in pain. Rather, the gnawing, crushing epiphany swirling around her clouded mind was to be the reason.

For Jean had destroyed the magnolia Yu had given her.


	7. One Last Song

_**Disclaimer: Last Song does not belong to me. Rather, it belongs to the composer of the soundtrack of Bravely Second, Ryo of Supercell. I do own the CD, though.**_

 **Chapter 7: One Last Song for the Shattered World of Flowers**

The trail in the Norende Ravine was typically desolate and grim, but today, the road formed an exceptionally bleak atmosphere, threatening to choke any unfortunate traveler.

Agnès Oblige (it will be Arrior soon, she thought) stood on the ledge where she saved Tiz's life. Absentmindedly rubbing her ring, as if it calmed her nerves, she patiently waited for the person who called her. He contacted her that morning, requesting that they speak privately. Although Tiz wanted to join their conversation, there were chores to take care of and sheep to watch over. To ease his nerves, she had the location of their chat in the ravine.

What could Yu possibly want from her? Maybe Jean did something rash…

"Agnès!"

The echo from his shout resonated throughout the enclosed path, and the former pope turned around to find Yu running up to her, his breath ragged and uneven.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Agnès." She shook her head at his apology. "No, it is alright. Now, what do you want to discuss with me?" Her question made him uncomfortable, as he shifted hesitantly on his feet.

"Well, you see…"

As he explained the events that occurred the week before, the halcyon calm Agnès acquired from her peaceful days with Tiz gave way to feelings that she have not experienced since her journey as a warrior of light. Her eyes flickered from bewilderment to shock to guilt.

When Yu brought up Magnolia's egregious injury, a hand instinctively covered her choked gasp.

"Is she well?"

"She's recovering at the moment. I imagine she won't be up for a while." His tone was sharp and chilling.

She was silent for a moment. _"Jean, what have you done?"_ Too wrapped up in her thoughts, Agnès did not notice Yu frantically attempting to regain her attention.

"Agnès!"

She slightly recoiled at his tone. Yu was uncharacteristically grouchy today; his friendly smile was gone, and his eyes reflected an icy blue rather than a comforting green. She humbly bowed. "My apologies."

The guilt caught up to him, and he scratched the back of his head, avoiding her gaze. "No, I'm the one at fault. It's just...I can't seem to make sense of the situation." The familiar determination associated with him is now back in his voice. "Please, Agnès, tell me. Do you know what I should do? Is there any way for me to understand?"

The retired pope fell silent again. Considering the two options she had, which one? To tell Yu about what Jean had told her would break her silent vow, but to keep quiet and risk more suffering and misunderstandings…

" _Forgive me, but this is one promise that I will have to break."_

"Yu," Agnès started, "I know of Jean's intentions."

"You do? Really?"

"Yes, but Yu, before I tell you what I know, I need you to keep an open mind," she warned. Her former protector nodded in understanding. "I will," he assured.

"Very well then. Yu, do you recall our conversation about lost memories?" He nodded again. "Yes, I remember. My first mission…" An instant of hesitation grabbed Agnès. It gripped her breath, momentarily crushing it to oblivion. And just as quickly as the panic started, it vanished.

It was comparably the same as when she debated over whether to break the crystal or go with Airy's plans…

"Agnès, are you alright?"

She weakly nodded back. "Ah, yes. I believe so." Feeling a bit better, she continued the conversation. "Jean remembers everything about that week. And he went out of his way to inform the people who were involved at the time." She realized those weren't the correct choice of words, for Yu glared at her with overt anger.

"So Jean thinks this doesn't concern us?!"

"Please temper your anger, Yu! I understand your concern, but you have to trust Jean on this! Please...let me explain." The last portion of her plead dampened his fury, and he gritted his teeth.

"Yu, let me tell you what he remembers."

Then, Agnès launched into a story that bewildered the captain of the Orthodox Knights. He first met Amy in those conditions? He had known what a demon was? The wind temple was attacked by some beast?

And yet, the part he paid the most attention to was to one name.

Magnolia.

Her name came up constantly. It seemed like no sentence was complete without her. And as Yu absorbed the information given, he felt a multitude of emotions.

Sadness, anger, surprise, doubt, confusion.

By the time she concluded her tale, Yu had his head down.

Agnès tentatively stepped closer to her former protector. He, in turn, spoke up. "Agnès, does this mean I met Magnolia before? That meeting Magnolia in Eternia was not our first?"

"Yes, indeed," she replied back.

There was a relapse of silence. The dim fog on the trail dropped in temperature, sending a shiver up Agnès's back. Yu still had his head bowed, processing his thoughts over this new revelation.

" _So, Magnolia had been to Luxendarc before. Wait, does that mean…?!"_

The former wind vestal tentatively stepped forward. He paid her no mind, and she breathed out an uneven sigh.

"Yu, do you believe me?"

Ignoring her question, Yu whispered in a daze, "Magnolia asked for our help before." Agnès grew worried over his musings. "Yu, what is the matter?"

"Back during our camping trip, when I fell unconscious, I saw some sort of vision. Someone asked for help, but I can't recall what that person looked like. If what you said is true, then…" He faced Agnès's taut demeanor.

"Yes, I believe you."

The sage's angel breathed out in relief. How wonderful it was for her to hear those words!

"But why won't Magnolia or Jean tell me about this?" came the anticipated question. He choked when he said it, as if he couldn't push his mouth to talk.

The conflicted look on his face stilled any motion Agnès was planning to make. Unable to come up with anything acceptable, she chose to relay Jean's reasoning.

"Jean truly did not want to jeopardize your relationship with Magnolia. He believes that the bonds you forged with her should not be broken by his doubts. And yet…"

Yu picked up where she left off. "And yet, Jean needed answers. He confronted her that night, but before things grew out of hand, I intervened. Had I not gone there..." He once again had his head down. Agnès shook her head, distracting him before he could indulge in such thoughts.

"That does not matter now. What matters now is how to properly approach this." She halted her train of thought. Something about the situation bothered her. It hasn't come up until now, but the nagging feeling inside of her is stronger than ever.

If Jean's suspicions are right, then her behavior does not make sense.

"Yu, did Magnolia...recognize you when she landed in Eternia?" He shook his head without hesitation.

"Was Magnolia surprised when she saw Jean and Nikolah on the other side of the battlefield?" This time, a firm nod.

"Did she even recognize Jean and Nikolah then?" Another shake of the head.

"If this is true, then..."

Yu was confused over her mumbles and questions. Did she also question Magnolia's innocence? Despite his utmost trust in his lover, he worried for her. If Jean and Agnès doubted her, then...

"Of course. That has to be it!"

Yu jumped back, eyes wide over her sudden realization. He stuttered, "A-Agnès, what is it?" She, in turn, had her eyes flickered with slight hope, giving away the elation she felt.

"I have something to-" she stopped as she searched her pockets. Her head shook in disbelief as panic subtly took over her joy.

"Looking for this, Agnès?" echoed the voice of Tiz Arrior.

Both turned to find Tiz standing there, with his hair still disheveled as Yu knew during their journey, holding a certain hourglass.

"How did you-" she was once again cut off by her fiancé. "I had a feeling that this might be something vital to your conversation. The sheep are close by, so I decided to come see how you two were doing." He faced Yu.

"I don't really know what is happening between you and everyone else, but I know that losing people like them will be something that can crush you. That's why..." Tiz handed the hourglass to his younger teammate.

"This is hope. It's from those who care about you," said Tiz.

Agnès, smiling, followed his example. "Have the courage to think and act on your own."

Together, the two of them said, "And have the courage to disobey." Standing in disbelief, Yu absorbed their words, not realizing the importance of them.

"Tell this to Magnolia, and give her back what she lost, Yu," assigned Agnès. He could only salute her, his fist crossing over his chest.

"I will!"

 **Party Chat: Give or Take**

Agnès: I hope Yu is able to fix the situation.

Tiz: I didn't hear much of the conversation. I feel like I'm being left out of some inside group.

Yu: Tiz, this doesn't concern you as much. But, I do promise to bring things back to normal because...I hate to see my friends fight.

Agnès: I am positive you can do it, Yu.

Tiz: Mmm. Good luck, Yu.

Yu: Thank you! I will do my best. Oh, speaking of which, Tiz, are you able to meet us in Caldisla next week? I don't really know why, but the others wanted me to relay the message to you.

Tiz: The others? Oh, sure, I guess.

Agnès: Isn't our wedding...

Tiz: Ah! The sheep! I completely forgot! Come on, Agnès!

Agnès: Wait, Tiz! Tiz!

Yu: They're cute together. Haha.

...

Magnolia was bedridden for several days. At first, the pain from her injury prevented her from getting up from her bed. Nikolah, upon finding Yu and Jean drag her into the inn they were staying in, came and apply Curaga until the ugly slash dulled to maroon red. Afterwards, Yu left in a hurry, shouting Agnès's name frantically into his communication device. Jean stayed silent throughout the entire thing.

Her gash was mostly healed by the next day, but she was still passed out, lying in a prone state. She, on occasion, would flutter her hand to her head and feel the shattered petals hiding in her tresses. Magnolia would then cringed and go back to her original position.

Jean expressed his apologies, but that didn't stop Yu from yelling at him with unforeseen fury. The words he threw at the fencer were harsh, but Jean remained uncooperative when it came to his motives. Although, Nikolah had an inference for his real reasons...

By the time Yu came back, she was up and walking. While her injury healed to a faint scar across her back, she still felt the sting associated with it. Yu spent the next few days accompanying her, making sure she didn't collapse on the ground.

Yu noticed the way she touched her destroyed magnolia. Her eyes would dampen with unshed tears, and her fingers gently, almost hesitantly, brushed against what petals left on her head.

Magnolia refused to take the flower off.

 **Party Chat: Broken and Devoid of Beauty**

Yu: Magnolia, are you feeling any better?

Magnolia: Yes. Thanks to Nikolah's healing, I should be ready for combat by tomorrow.

Yu: I see...

Magnolia: Hmm...

Yu: Hey, umm...why do you still have that magnolia?

Magnolia: I can't just part with this. This is a symbol of our first meeting, a symbol of the bonds we have together! How can I just...

Yu: I'm...sorry.

Magnolia: What for?

Yu: _Now that she put it like that, I feel bad...for letting her flower wilt. I was forgetting...why it was so important to me. How could I..._

Magnolia: Yu?

Yu: Forgive me...Magnolia. I will set things right.

Magnolia: Yu…

...

"I wonder where she could be..."

Yu stood at the entrance of Istantal, waiting for Magnolia to come. The Crystal Orthodoxy assigned Yu to check the wind temple after an acolyte reported some disturbance. Seeing this as the perfect time, he invited Magnolia, who accepted, to join him.

"Yu!"

Her voice never failed to turn his head, as he instantly whipped his head around to the now-equipped black mage. The black dress that came with the job was replaced by her plain tunic.

"You're late, Magnolia," Yu lightly scolded. She swung her hips to her left, her lips forming a thin line.

"S-sorry. I was preparing for emergencies."

Despite his slight annoyance (probably due to anxiety), he gave a tiny smile. "It's okay. To the temple, we go?" Magnolia nodded at his request.

"Okay."

...

They got to the temple by sundown.

When they walked inside, the acolytes all ran to them, crying something about a giant beast guarding the wind crystal. Yu and Magnolia looked at each other, nodded, and proceeded to the altar.

What awaited them was a dark-skinned ogre with a club spiked with thorny edges. Magnolia's gaze remained fierce and battle-ready, but Yu's eyes shifted to disbelief.

 _"What? How is this still here?!"_

"Yu! Focus! It's coming this way!"

Her warning only gave him enough time to ready his fists before the monster attacked.

The beast did not pack so much of a punch, but it felt impossible to beat. With patissier as a side job, Magnolia was capable of exploiting multiple weaknesses, with the most common cake being a red frosted one, which she threw before setting the ogre on fire.

With Yu, he had on Barras's asterisk, borrowing Alternis's dark knight as a side. For the most part, he utilized the monk skills, throwing punches and jabs to the monster's thick skin. When his health was low, he would switch to dark knight, taking advantage of the famed Minus Strike.

After what seemed to be hours of fighting, Yu and Magnolia dropped to their knees, gulping the thick air down their throats. The beast stood unscathed, roaring itself into berserk mode.

"Damn, what do we do?! How can this thing not feel any pain?!" Magnolia hoarsely wailed. Her partner gritted his teeth. "Could he be absorbing energy from somewhere?" Yu huffed out. He reached into his bag, brushing his fingers against the smooth surface of the hourglass.

"Magnolia, I have an idea! Is Withering Ripple ready to go?" The black mage nodded, but she didn't have the slightest clue of his plan.

"Leave it to me then!" she shouted.

She twirled her wand in a petite circle, the end glowing with the ominous, but oddly beautiful mixture of dark purple and blue. The mage released the orb, and it spun around the enemy, accelerating faster and faster until it explodes, effectively weakening the enemy.

"Yu, what now?" she asked, bringing her shield up to block the incoming swing.

He snatched the hourglass from his bag. Upon the reveal, Magnolia started to panic. "Yu! You can't! There has to be another way!" The monk shook his head. "It's okay, Magnolia," he tried to assure.

Magnolia didn't change her expression. Yu sighed and outstretched his hand to her.

"Do you trust me, Magnolia?"

A moment of silence. And then…

"Yes, I do."

Those three words gave him the incentive he needed to activate the device. He lifted the hourglass up.

"Bravely Second!"

As the familiar stopping of time commenced, Yu stepped forward, tightening his hands into fists.

"Here I go!"

He felt the crackle of electricity coursing through his veins. It materialized into twin orbs, and Yu slammed them into one. He swung his fist back before punching the electrified sphere with all his might, sending it hurtling to the ogre. The monster grunted one last time before crashing to the floor. Yu turned around and found Magnolia's eyes glazed over and ready to slip into unconsciousness. He quickly ran to her and grabbed her hand.

The world turned white.

...

" _Magnolia, so this is where you went." His voice attracted the attention of the girl, and she turned around, stunned at his presence._

" _Yu? Why are you here?"_

" _I had a weird feeling. Just a tiny bit...If there is something troubling you, I will be happy to help. Even though I do not particularly know what I can do." She shook her head at this._

" _I'm sure you know what to do. You really saved me back there." Shifting to her thinking position, she stared down with a sort of gratitude._

" _Yu and everyone, I did not think I would get this much help." Magnolia then hesitated._

" _But...I don't want to go home yet."_

 _Yu felt a tinge of confusion. "Eh? Go home? What do you mean? Didn't you say you couldn't go back home?" Her head is still down._

" _I might have cheated a bit there...but...I ran out of time…" As soon as she said that, her body turned more translucent, flickering back and forth between existing and vanishing._

" _Huh? Wha-? Magnolia? What...what is this...your body i-is disappearing...?!" Magnolia closed her eyes, already resigned to her fate._

" _Everyone, including you and me, will probably forget the events that occurred…" she then lifted her head and smiled._

" _But, that's alright."_

 _Yu was never more confused in his life. He expressed this, crying out that he doesn't understand a word that she is saying. But she ignored him, instead replying him with, "I'm sure we'll meet again soon. I'm sure of it."_

 _Her final words to him struck him in the heart, tearing his emotions apart until only desperation was left._

" _That's why...see you soon, Yu...our time together was fun."_

 _And then she vanished into thin air._

" _Magnolia! Wait, Magnolia!"_

 _It wasn't until a few moments later did he realize the impact of her absence._

" _...Magnolia…"_

 _ **A few quiet minutes passed…**_

" _Oh, Yu is there. What are you doing here?" Jean called, Nikolah trailing behind him. Snapping out of what seemed to be a trance-like state, Yu whipped his head around before centering his vision on his two comrades._

" _Jean? H-huh? What am I doing here?" His voice was quiet._

 _The blue-haired male grew worried for his leader. "Hey, are you alright? You didn't hit your head or anything like that?" Nikolah crossed his arms, already thinking of a possible reason._

" _He's just probably tired. No wonder, since it has been a long journey," was his explanation._

 _Yu couldn't shake off this ominous feeling inside. Something saddening and oh so very wrong…_

" _Is that so...I just have a weird feeling…" Jean then noticed something was sticking out of Yu's pocket, the object completely hidden by his cape except for a small white portion._

" _Hey? Yu, what is that in your pocket?"_

 _He reached for the object, pulling out a familiar flower. "Huh? What is…? This is...a flower?" Of course, he could not determine the source of the white flower. He stood dumbfounded, gaping in awe at the flora._

" _Yu surely is hiding something from us. Tell us, who did you get it from?" Jean lightly joked. Yu's mode did not change. Instead, he turned from them, his head aligned with the stony bridge. With his voice far away from rational thought, he muttered, "Flower...huh...what is this? This somehow...feels odd…"_

 _Jean felt thrown off by Yu's solemn, almost longing daze to the night sky. "O-oi! W-wait a moment! Yu, you are…" Jean didn't get a response back, the seconds draining away slowly. Getting the hint, Nikolah whispered to Jean._

" _...Jean, how about a suggestion? Let us leave him be...for a while, alright?"_

 _The fencer asterisk-holder did not question any further. "Ah? Okay, I got it. I'll leave now," he replied back. And with one last glance at their leader, the two older men left Yu to his thoughts._

" _What is this, this feeling? I feel like a giant hole opened up inside me," his lips murmured to the empty city._

" _..."_

 _A voice vibrated into his head then. "I'm sure we'll meet again soon. I'm sure of it." Her voice, filled with promise and hope, gave Yu just enough memory to remember her words. He stared at the flower in his hand one more time._

" _That's right. I'm sure we'll meet again," he said to the flower._

" _We will...meet again."_

The blinding white light faded, and Yu snapped his eyes open, finding himself bathed in the lush green light of the wind crystal. His hand was intertwined with Magnolia's, gripping it tight. Her head snapped up from her trance.

"What was that? Are those..."

"Ah. Those were memories, Magnolia. Memories that you have forgotten," Yu said. She fell to her knees, staring blankly ahead. Yu, in response, knelt down and patted her shoulder.

"Yu...can I have some time to think to myself? This is just…" her voice cracked, and she attempted to clear her throat. Yu nodded at her request.

"Okay, tell me when you want to talk."

…

Magnolia stood alone on the bridge in the center of Istantal. The night was young, with the moon round and clear for all to see. She was staring at it for quite some time ever since Yu and she came back from the wind temple.

The mention of the wind temple dragged Magnolia back to the flashback she witnessed during Bravely Second. She now knew the reason why this city was nostalgic, even poignant, in her mind. She had parted from Yu here, barred his and everyone else's memories of her here.

And...she remembered how her own memories vanished as well. The struggle, the machine, and of course, the crushing despair...

"..."

She continued to look up at her homeland, seeing the pale moonbeams fall onto the stone floor. None of those beams touched her, and she was left in the dark.

"Magnolia, there you are."

 _I remember you_

 _And I want to tell you_

 _That the blue of this Earth,_

 _Even from a faraway place,_

 _Shines so bright._

She whirl her body around to face Yu. Even now, she noticed, he looks the same, and maybe not at the same time. He has certainly grown in their journey together, and yet, he remained the sweet, helpful young adult that she can now clearly recall. Her stomach fluttered at his presence.

"Yu, are you having trouble sleeping?"

He nodded slightly, his head drooping in a way that betrayed his tiredness. When he closed his eyes, he let out a little hum.

 _I'm sorry_

 _For saying goodbye without telling you._

 _But you know…_

 _I am sure, being you, you will understand._

"Yu, I...I remember everything. And...I want to apologize for what I have done to you, to Jean, and to everyone involved," Magnolia started, lowering her head down into a slight bow. Yu tried to dissuade her, shaking his head in disagreement.

"I'm sure you had your reasons. It does not bother me as much."

"Still...I will need to apologize to Jean and the others."

"If that will calm your conscience..."

 _I would like to someday tell you_

 _That I love you._

 _I have always thought it would be nice if I could…_

"Yu, will you be there? When I apologize to them, that is?" The question seemed odd to Yu. Why would she need him? He noticed her slightly shaking, her hands clutching her chest.

She is vulnerable right now. Shattering the barrier to her memories had done a lot more damage than he anticipated. How? If Magnolia back then foretold that everyone will forget, then why was her reaction more severe than Jean's?

Disregarding his doubts, he muttered, "Of course."

 _Hey, if I were to say it to you,_

 _What kind of face would you make?_

 _I want to know..._

She looked at him with teary eyes. The tears had yet to fall, and Magnolia reached to wipe some out of her eyes. Her voice came out cracked and dry.

"Yu, thank you. I knew...I knew you would always be by my side. I cannot believe that all this time, we had a deeper connection than anyone could have thought. I always...I always…" She tackled Yu into a desperate hug, her tears finally falling.

 _Hey, I missed you._

 _And I don't need a thing_

 _Other than you, not a single thing!_

 _Until the far off future, every second,_

 _I want to go on by your side._

"I'll always be by your side, Magnolia. Even now, after we have been separated, we came back to each other. And, I will not let go this time," Yu whispered in her ear. A small breeze brushed against the ends of their hair, but they paid it no mind, fully intent on enjoying the warmth between them.

 _If, without a word,_

 _You'd embrace me with those arms,_

 _That'd be my only wish._

 _Cause I belong only to you._

"Yu, I...I want to say it."

"Eh? Magnolia?"

She pulled away from his grasp, keeping eye contact with him. With her eyes twinkling from the light of her homeland, Magnolia appeared more beautiful to him than he ever imagined her to be. Her eyelids sealed her vision, and Yu could feel the tickle that came with her close breathing.

 _Whenever your present and my present_

 _Cross paths again...at that time,_

 _Y'know, I want you to tell me you love me._

 _I'm sure all the pain would fade away,_

 _And I can grow stronger._

"Yu, I'll always love you."

The grip on his arms grew tighter, afraid for his withdrawal, even if that fear was misplaced. Yu felt his face burn red as he observed the (possibly) same color form two small, yet hypnotic orbs on Magnolia's face.

 _Nothing changes by merely wishing._

 _So I'll keep going onward with you...forever!_

"Umm…" she awkwardly hummed.

Yu could not help but smile at her bashfulness. Where was the confident Ba'al Buster who confronted Diamante and Providence? He liked this reticent side of Magnolia, though. It gave him a better chance to view a side Magnolia would only show to him.

He smiled at the thought.

"Magnolia?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

 _I'd like to someday be able_

 _To tell you that I love you._

 _I've always thought it would be nice…_

"I will always love you, my forgotten Magnolia."

And before she could respond, her lips were sealed by his.

 _Whenever your present and my present_

 _Cross paths again...at that time,_

 _Y'know, I want you to tell me you love me._

 _I'm sure all the pain would fade away,_

 _And I can grow stronger._

Her eyes didn't close; instead they widened as far as they could go. His arms held her in, leaving little room for her to move around. When her brain finally processed the kiss, she leaned in humming. Her senses shot straight to the moon, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

And as they rocked each other in their arms, a tiny song ended its last notes.

 _Then you...call my name,_

 _When we meet again..._


	8. The Strength to Disobey

**Chapter 8: The Strength to Disobey**

"Magnolia, I'm sure everything will turn out okay."

"I know, Yu, but I still can't help it."

"He will understand. Trust me."

"I hope so. I mean...he took it as if I killed someone important to him."

"It will be alright, Magnolia. I'll be here with you."

"Okay...thank you."

"Happy to be of service."

Standing outside of the inn in the simple city of Caldisla, Yu and Magnolia awaited the arrival of Jean and Nikolah. Right now, Magnolia was trying hard to stay calm, but it was proven futile after a few minutes. Yu patted her shoulder in an attempt to ease her nerves.

"Oh, I think I see them," called out Yu.

Her back straightened. She started fidgeting left and right, staring at the ground with a newfound interest. Jean looked at the girl, a lump of regret lumping in his throat.

"Yu, Magnolia. Why did you call us here?" Jean started questioning. Nikolah crossed his arms, entering his thinking process. "Yes, I'm afraid I do not know the reason for this meeting, but I do know there are issues to address." The last bit was directed to Jean, and the fencer subtly nodded.

"Listen, Magnolia. About what happened-" he was cut off by Magnolia's sudden bow.

"It's okay. I remember everything."

The two older men staggered back. "W-what?! But how?" Jean sputtered out. Yu took advantage of their shock to explain.

"I was the one who brought her memories back. I didn't know why two of my closest allies were fighting, so I went to Agnès for help. She told me that you were trying to find out why your memories were erased. And after exchanging information, she gave me her hourglass and told me to restore what was lost. Back then, I wasn't sure what she meant, but now…"

Still holding his mouth open, Nikolah ventured further. "So then, all this time, Magnolia was as clueless as us." This time, Magnolia spoke up. "That's right. Although, now that my memories have returned…" She mumbled something to herself. The others looked at her skeptically.

"Does having your memories restored...have some sort of consequence to them?" inquired Nikolah.

She stood silently for several minutes. How can she explain the rapidly expanding pressure of dread in her stomach? The feeling jabbed her forcefully, and she discreetly let her hands clutch her stomach.

"I...do not think so, but I'm going to be on my guard for a while. After all, there is a reason why I also forgot everything." Magnolia didn't look like she wanted to expand anymore. Jean and Nikolah relaxed in resignation.

"Well, I should apologize for my actions. I was being rash and forceful, and that put a strain on our friendship," Jean insisted, wincing when his gaze shifted to her broken flower.

"I forgive you, Jean. What matters is that you are finally able to trust me," Magnolia replied with a gentle smile. Yu looked back and forth between them, and, after seeing Magnolia and Jean come back to friendly terms, let out a silly laugh.

"It's good to see everyone getting along," sighed out Yu.

"Indeed. Quite a wonderful sight," Nikolah said.

While they all shared a laugh, Tiz came running up to them.

"I swear...people are leaving me out of things lately," Tiz grumbled.

 **Party Chat: What a Coincidence**

Yu: Magnolia, can I ask you something?

Magnolia: Oh sure, Yu. Anything you want.

Yu: When we first met, you introduced yourself as Magnolia. Yet, when we met again in Eternia, you also named yourself Magnolia. Isn't that a bit of a…

Jean: Now that I think about it, how did Magnolia come up with that name again?

Tiz: Magnolia told me she named herself after the flower Yu gave her.

Magnolia: Actually, I don't know why I called myself Magnolia back then. All I know is that when Yu gave me that flower, I felt a connection to it, almost like deja vu. Also, I was strained on time to choose a name, so I went with the first thing I knew.

Jean: You know, I just realized that this event just went into a full circle.

Tiz: What do you mean?

Nikolah: He means that when Magnolia first came here, she gave Yu her flower as a way for him to remember her. And now, after coming back to Luxendarc, Yu gives her the same flower as a way to help her, and in turn, it sort of gave Magnolia a reason to follow him. It's like they gave each other a drive to keep moving.

Tiz: Is that so…?

Yu: I guess. But it feels more coincidental than intentional.

Nikolah: Yu, you know what they say. There is no such thing as coincidences in this world. I'm sure Tiz is well versed in this.

Tiz: Way to bring up an old scar, Nikolah.

…

It turned out that the guys wanted to hold a party for Tiz that night. Renting out the hot springs airship, Yu went all out, inviting everyone he has met on his journey for this one celebration. Tiz was embarrassed beyond belief, but he was also glad that over the last three years, he had the chance to meet, fight, and get to understand so many people. He felt like he has grown so much, and he knew that at the top of that growth...was his love, Agnès.

They spent the time soaking in the hot springs, offering Tiz advice on various things related to marriage (some of which he vowed never to take to heart). Sakura recently discovered a new brand of wine imported from Florem and wanted to share it to them. The result was an overly drunk Jean, whose slurred language added to the massive dizziness Yu gained from one sip of the sweet drink.

Nonetheless, the party was largely successful, and as Nikolah and Tiz drag a half-awake Jean to a guest room, Yu sat quietly in the spring, recovering from the pounding sensation in his head.

"So, Yu, how are things going with Magnolia?" Denny casually started, taking another sip out of his sake.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I was asking about Magnolia's injuries. Surely, they've healed by now."

"Yes, they did. Umm...Nii-san, why are you looking at me like that?" Yu frowned when his brother suddenly flashed a knowing grin. Denny chuckled at his younger brother, downing the rest of his drink.

"Yu, when are you going to ask her?"

At first, the younger brother tilted his head in confusion, but in a moment's notice, his cheeks brightened to the color of his barely touched drink. He choked on air, and he struggled to recover from his embarrassment.

"T-t-t-that's not...I-I-I mean...why do you ask?" he managed to spit out.

"Yu, she's someone precious to you. The way you defend her, the way you two have grown in your journey, the way you always get shy around her…"

"Nii-san!" Yu retorted.

His older brother chuckled. "It's only natural that you would tie the knot with her soon, at least, that's what I think. To think my little brother would grow up so fast…" Denny took a glance at his brother's face, now a glowing red color.

"Actually, I-I was thinking about it, too."

The older sibling raised an eyebrow. When he clearly saw Yu's face, he was taken back at what he saw. A shy look, maybe even a bit terrified, but determined nonetheless. "A lot has happened over the past few weeks. I realized how precious she is, even more so than when I was faced with the possibility of her leaving. How to explain this...I may know her feelings for me, but it's still nerve wracking to ask her."

"I see. But even so, it looks like you're stalling. Almost like you're anticipating something."

Yu shifted uncomfortably. Just when he was about to open his mouth to explain, Magnolia's voice echoed from above.

"What are you two talking about? I heard my name."

He turned around to find Magnolia leaning over the bamboo fence, her hair wrapped in a neat bun. She waved hello to Yu's brother and then focused her attention onto Yu's beet red cheeks.

"N-nothing! You heard nothing! Right, Nii-san?" Yu chuckled nervously, prompting Denny to also laugh at his younger brother's embarrassment. "A-anyway, why are you here?!" he stutters out. Magnolia took a peek at the moon, now entering its waning phase.

"I needed to clear my head for a bit. Are you sure you weren't talking about me?"

"We were just talking about old memories regarding flowers. Nothing related to you personally," Denny assured. Magnolia let out a grin that made Yu's face even redder. He sank his body further into the water, incoherently grumbling his discomfort. The bath was soon filled with laughter, and the night sky absorbed the sound with little difficulty...

Until a piercing scream sliced through the happiness like butter.

"What is that?! A-a-a m-monster!"

"Run for it!"

Magnolia suddenly flinched. Her face turned pale, and she started to shake. Both brothers noticed her state, and Yu immediately said, "Magnolia, calm down! Let's go see what it is!"

"R-right!"

…

Once the both of them were dressed, Yu and Magnolia hurried outside. They found Nikolah and Tiz helping people evacuate the building. Jean was the last one to stumble out, already sober enough to fight.

"What happened? I heard screaming and footsteps," Jean growled out, his hands already on his rapier. Nikolah pointed up to the sky, and Magnolia gasped.

"No...It can't be…" A sudden blue light on her hand lit up, and she answered it with tears pouring out of her eyes.

"Magnolia, I'm sorry. I tried to stop him, but he found out. He found out that you regained your memories. You have to defend yourself! The president's planning on killing you and your friends!"

The four men stared at the Ba'al Buster. Her eyes lacked the playful luster, and she was struggling to keep it together. "What have I done? Why does this have to happen?! Must I always drag my friends down with me?!" Her cry attracted the object in the sky, and another screech, this time from the object, rang out to the night.

Magnolia fell to her knees. She could feel the wind blasting her face, but she didn't respond to the sensation. She could hear screaming, distorted cries of her name, but she didn't move. Before she felt impact, a metallic clanking noise registered into her mind.

Jean stood in front of her, his sword blocking what looked to be a test tube, filled with a mysterious crimson liquid. The fencer gritted his teeth as he absorbed the sight, flicking his sword to swat the object away. Magnolia still had her head down.

"Magnolia, are you alright?!" Yu called out. She did not reply back. Her tears soaked the dirt ground, and her hands clutched each other. She wanted to say something, but her throat dried up. She couldn't even lift her head up…

"What are you doing, Magnolia?! Stand up and fight!"

The Ba'al Buster finally gained the strength to raise her head to Jean's voice. The Three Orthodox Knights stood in front of her, glaring at the nightmarish monster with open determination.

"That's right! Our bonds will not be easily beaten! For your future...for your freedom, you must break through!" Nikolah bellowed. Yu calmly stepped forward.

"Magnolia, thank you. I'm truly grateful that we've met. The memories the four of us had are ones we will keep close. I want to continue making them with everyone. That's why…!" Yu drew his own rapier.

"Magnolia, find the courage in you to disobey!"

She gasped at their encouragement. "That's right...I can't abandon what I have. My friends, my home…" she equipped her lance. "Luxendarc is where I want to be! With Tiz, Edea, Agnès, Jean, Nikolah, Yu...I want to be with everyone I treasure! If anyone threatens to take that away from me…"

The creature stepped forth from the darkness. A large sulfur-colored mask peered down at them, reminiscent of the Empire scientists she fought when rescuing Tiz. The fingers of the creature were test tubes, giant test tubes that flowed with crimson liquid. Its feet had larger versions of these containers, staining the desert floor with its content. Random drawings of hydrocarbons, benzenes, and carbon groups spawned in and out of the body, and Magnolia recognized some of the compounds as common organic substances on Luxendarc. Tubes from its back made it more intimidating, almost suggesting that it had unlimited energy.

She pointed the spear at the Ba'al, her tears still blurring her vision.

"Then prepare to die! I'll show you what a Ba'al Buster can really do!"

The creature screeched; the sound activated a power that teleported the four warriors to a dimension of pitch black. Magnolia nearly had a panic attack if Yu haven't held her hand.

"We're with you, Magnolia. Stay calm." She nodded at his quiet reminder.

The Ba'al flew down to approachable levels, waiting for the heroes to strike. Magnolia closed her eyes, steadying her breath for the upcoming battle. "How could I forget such wonderful memories…? Times I smiled, laughed, cried...I forgot it all. It may have only been a week, but…" The three men listened to her mumbling. When she finished, Yu picked up from where she left off.

"That's right...memories are to be treasured. No one should have the right to erase them, not now, not ever! Sometimes, memories are the driving force behind our actions, and that might be the most precious thing we may ever possess!"

Instead of utilizing his rapier, Yu pulled out a sleek lightly-colored bow.

"Let's give it all we got!"

The arrow notched on the bow illuminated the black surrounding with a lilac purple. He shot four arrows at the creature, and they passed through it with little difficulty. Yu prepared another four arrows, charged them up a bit, and sent them flying at the Ba'al. Jean stepped forward now, flicking his sword to gather attention to him.

"Just like Yu said! Take responsibility for your memories and break through!" Jean bellowed. His sword emitted a golden light, and he swung it several times before pressing it into the ground. Orange light erupted from below to envelop the party. After successfully performing his special move, he gestured to Nikolah with his head.

"Yes, exactly that. Never give up on living! We'll support you, Magnolia, until the very end!" Nikolah then carved a magic circle below him. The light he produced gathered into his staff, allowing him to charge it up even further. Once complete, he released five beams of energy that coated the team. A Reflect was also casted on top of the buff.

The Ba'al retaliated by throwing a light-imbued arrow at Magnolia. The sheer power of the attack caused her to drop to her knees, and she let out a shaky gasp.

"I...can't give up...yet!"

As she lifted herself back on her feet using her lance, Magnolia pulled out a scarlet katana, similar to Alternis' blade. Gritting her teeth, she glared back at the Ba'al.

"I'll show you my resolve. I will live. I will stop you from controlling my home, my life. Take the full extent of my determination!" An object, from the corner of her eye, was tossed to her, and when she caught it, she was once again left speechless.

The Three Orthodox Knights all gave smiles of encouragement. "Magnolia, finish it with one blow! Show them how our bonds have strengthened with this!" The Ba'al Buster looked at her comrades one by one, feeling ready to burst into tears by their kindness. Yes...she will not have any regrets or doubts. The famed hourglass was raised and the four of them called on the power of SP.

"Bravely Second!"

Magnolia did not see the color drain away from the already darkened landscape. Rather, she saw the memories of her journeys through Istantal and Luxendarc. Memories passed through her mind in light-speed, reminding her that everything she had been through is worth denying the president's orders.

Cherry blossom petals began to swirl around Magnolia. Her katana pulsed with pink energy, and she slowly watched the petals twirl in a slow, free-falling dance. She swung her blade with the rhythm of the flowers. One slash, another slice. On the fourth swing, Magnolia delicately ran her hand against the warm steel of her katana.

" _Resonate...and bring an end to this madness!"_

She unleashed the beam of energy in her sword, which circled the frozen Ba'al in a pillar of pink light. She turned away from the demon, and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Goodbye."

The pillar exploded, sending razor-sharp blossom petals into the ambiguous exterior. As she opened her eyes, she saw spots of white flying towards the demon. Her hand instinctively reached for her magnolia...only to discover that it had disappeared. She, without thinking, thrusted her arm out to grasp the petals, but they flew out of her range, choosing instead to lie on top on the Ba'al.

She couldn't hear a single piece of struggle from her opponent, but when she turned around, the Ba'al started to drift upwards, folding its hands over its chest. Then, its mask lay limp, and the demon dissipated.

Magnolia finally fell to her knees. It was over, all over. She burst into tears, and when the party was transported back to Sakura's hot springs, everyone present embraced the Ba'al Buster. Her mouth kept repeating, "Thank you," over and over again.

It was over at last.

…

"Everyone, I don't know what to say...I can't possibly express my gratitude," Magnolia choked out, sniffing the last of her tears away. While everyone pulled away from the group embrace, Yu held on and stroked her hair.

"It's fine. I'm just glad that you're alright."

Jean flashed a dorky grin. "This feels way too familiar, don't you think, Nikolah?" The bishop only chuckled at the wolf. "Get used to it, Jean. They're not separating for a long time."

Magnolia laughed at the former Empire members, while Yu pulled away, stuttering incoherent assurances to his comrades.

"So Magnolia…" Tiz called in a quiet voice. He was cut off by a distinct blue light on Magnolia's hand, which she answered promptly.

"Magnolia...you defeated it right?! You're still alive, yes?!" exclaimed Vice President Blackberry.

"Yes, it's gone now. What happened, Blackberry?"

"There's a lot going on Moonfort, but in short, we've arrested the president. He will be facing charges for corruption and attempted murder. Do not worry, Magnolia. You're finally free."

The tears were back, and Magnolia did not bother to wipe them away. "T-thank you, Blackberry. I-I knew I can count on you." The commander let out a shaky laugh, probably rubbing his head in embarrassment.

"Also, another thing. Since you are no longer bounded to Moonfort, I can arrange for you to stay in Luxendarc permanently without any interference." Everyone stumbles back in shock. "R-really?! Can I really stay here? But, what about my duties?"

"Well, I'm assuming that you won't sit there and let a Ba'al just run free. However, you technically don't need to follow orders from anyone anymore. As for how to bring Moonfort under control, I will deal with it myself."

"Enjoy the rest of your life, Magnolia."

A sudden bright light engulfed the field. As Magnolia shielded her eyes from the brightness, she felt pressure on her finger. Then, when the light disappeared, the sound of metal pierced her ears, and she quickly looked down at her hand.

Her ring was gone.

Yu looked over her shoulder to stare at her finger. "So this means…" Magnolia finished for him, "Looks like I'll be here for the rest of my life."

Everyone's mouths were open, and Magnolia turned her eyes to the ground, uncomfortable by the attention she was attracting. Jean broke the silence by stating, "Well, whenever you're ready, Magnolia. I want the full story."

"Yes, I suppose that's only fair."

She turned one last time to her friends, the people she had chosen over her home. Closing her eyes, she began her story.

"Three years ago, our homeland was attacked by multiple Ba'als. One of them escaped to Luxendarc, and the newly-appointed president asked me to cover the situation under the condition that I do not involve anyone in my mission. I have never really trusted the president, but it was not my place to express my concerns. However, it was my first time in Luxendarc, and well...I wasn't familiar with your world. I had to seek help. And so, I landed myself in Istantal, where I met Yu and the Orthodox Knights. Even though our first meeting was a bit shaky, I had a wonderful time fighting alongside them. And to be honest, I didn't want to leave…"

"The president sensed my involvement with the people of your world and ordered me back as soon as the Ba'al was defeated. I was prepared to do so when Yu came by, asking me about my troubles. I tried to leave with a smile, but seeing Yu's desperate face made me hesitate."

"So I left Yu my flower. Looking back at it, it must have been my way of rebelling against the president. When I got back...I was instantly assaulted. The president's guards captured me, and I was strapped down to a machine. And then...I could only remember intense pain. It felt like something was tearing apart my head, savagely ripping it piece by piece. I never found out what exactly that machine did, other than removing memories."

Once Magnolia finished her explanation, Yu placed a hand on her shoulder, hesitating a bit before fully embracing her again.

"You did well, Magnolia," whispered Yu. His two comrades also held the former moon resident in their arms, looking at each other briefly with a silly grin on their faces. Edea was straight up bawling, while Agnès and Tiz listened to the Eternian's rambling about injustice and the power of love.

Yu subconsciously rubbed Magnolia's finger that once held her communication ring. His lover noticed his glare and only tilted her head in confusion.

On the side, Denny Zeneolsia observed the scene with calculating eyes.

 _"What is bothering my brother so much?"_


	9. To a Happier Life

**Chapter 9: To A Happier Life**

Edea really outdone herself.

The headquarters of the Crystal Orthodoxy was bombarded with various flower arrangements, either hung from the ceiling, nesting comfortably in vases, or sticking out from the edge of the benches. White banners connected the sides of the room. People filed in with excited, hushed tones, whispering tidbits about their retired pope and her husband-to-be. Members of the Orthodox Knights lined the path to the decorated room. Normally, the floor would proudly display a complicated, yet intricate design, but today, it was covered up by a red carpet, something Edea made adamantly sure it was there. On the altar laid a thick, but small book, its appearance as elegant as the hall it found itself in.

Personally, Edea wanted to paint the whole place white, but she was stopped by her father, the old priestesses, and Agnès.

Nikolah stood with the old book, gripping his staff with a firmness never seen before. Jean scoffed at his older comrade's blatant attempt to compose himself.

"Get a hold of yourself, Nikolah. This is a happy event, not a funeral!" Jean exclaimed, his exasperation evident. The older man weakly protested, "But Jean, this is something I thought I would never experience. I have thought that, after joining the Empire, I would never enjoy such an opportunity. To think they want me to be the officiant!"

Jean shook his head, but he couldn't hide the small smile on his face. "Yes, I do agree with you on that. You've better not mess up!"

At that moment, the door was heaved open, and the groom, Tiz Arrior, nervously strolled in with his best man. His hands were twitching, his face wore the most anxious frown, and his hair was just as bad as he first woke up in Eternian Central Command. His white suit, picked from the extensive collection of Alfred's tuxedos, blended him well enough with the ceremony decoration.

"Yu, I'm not so sure anymore."

"Tiz, you don't need to feel this nervous. Agnès loves you, yes? Even I'm not that much of a blockhead to not know that."

Yu's comment did nothing to alleviate his mood. Even as they took their place at the altar, Tiz still fiddled with his fingers. He couldn't bear to look up at the audience, remaining motionless and stiff.

The heir of Zeneolsia huffed out a breathy sigh. Muttering under his breath, he said, "And here I thought I was a blundering fool when it comes to women…"

 **Party Chat: Tiz's Big Day**

Tiz: Man, I can't seem to stop this nervousness of mine.

Yu: Everything will be okay, Tiz. I'm sure Agnès isn't the type of person to walk out of her own wedding.

Tiz: I know that but still…

Yu: Tiz, you have come a long way for this. Don't let last minute doubts get in the way of your happiness.

Tiz: It's funny...I can't help but think about when I first met Agnès. I was doubting myself then, doubting whether or not I should have been alive. But then, Agnès came and gave me a purpose. She became a ray of hope for me. Even now, she is still my reason to live, albeit in a literal sense. To have her by my side for the rest of my life...wow...I can hardly believe it.

Yu: Marriage must be nice huh...I'm really happy for you, honest...

Tiz: Yu, is there something bothering you?

Yu: N-no! Nothing at all.

Tiz: Are you feeling jealous by any chance?

Yu: Me?! Jealous of your important day?! Tiz, surely you jest!

Tiz: It's not uncommon. While most people are excited and happy for the couple, there are a few who look on and think about what might happen when they stand up here. Plus, throughout this past year, you were constantly bombarded with the notion of marriage. Personally, I sort of feel bad for you, getting pushed by the ladies to pick one of them. At least I had the luxury of being a blockhead for one person.

Yu: Yeah, you're right...but that doesn't excuse the fact that this is your day. I shouldn't do something to ruin the mood.

Tiz: And for that, I thank you. I knew it was the right choice to pick you as my best man. I feel so much better now.

Yu: Thank you! Just doing what I need to do. _If only I can gather the courage to ask her…_

…

"Mrgrgr! Agnès, it's time to go! Why are you still cooped up in the dressing room?!" The sound of Edea's knocks on her door snapped the bride from her thoughts. It cracked open, and Agnès looked up from her lap to look at her friend.

"Don't tell me you're having doubts now! I know Tiz, and he's super crazy about you. I bet he's sweating buckets because you're taking so long!"

The former pope smiled softly at Edea's assurance. Her hands brushed the skirt of her dress, and she marveled at the fabric beneath her fingertips. "Can you send Tiz my apologies? I'm just getting used to all this. Just a few years ago, I never thought of anything but being a vestal. To now experience marriage and eventually end up in open land for the rest of my life...it's a bit much."

The bride stood up and attempted to fix the rose brooch on her dress, but Edea immediately walked up to her and adjusted it.

"You know, I have to be honest. I felt a little bitter when you asked me to be your maid of honor."

"Why is that? I hope I did not offend you by asking."

"No, you didn't. It's just…" Edea hesitated, her hands now fumbling through silky brown tresses. "In my journey to save you, I was confronted with my true feelings. Feelings of envy, jealousy, and loneliness that were caused by the happy couples around me. I realized that if I continue with these feelings, I would do something that may be unforgivable."

The woman in white placed her hand on Edea's shoulder as the Eternian continued. "I just felt...hopeless. The person I want can't be with me for a long while, and while I'm happy to see you and Tiz finally get together…"

"I wished I could be like that with Ringabel."

Agnès only maintained her gentle smile and squeezed her maid of honor's shoulder. "Edea, I'm sure Ringabel is thinking the same thing. Wherever he is, I bet you're always on his mind. As long as you have faith that he will return to you, just like with Tiz, everything will work out in its own way." She then embraced her, gripping tightly to her back.

"I'm sorry that this is all I can do, but I feel like that is the only thing I can say."

A few tears trickled onto Agnès's shoulder, but she paid it no mind. Light sniffs from the blonde began to overflow as they continued their close contact. "T-thank you, Agnès. Please, live out your life with Tiz with everything you got, okay?"

"Of course, Edea. Thank you."

In the corridor of the Zeneolsia manor, Magnolia looked on with teary eyes.

" _Edea, Agnès, I'm glad that the friendship you share is as valuable as your love for your loved ones."_

The flower girl walked in and handed Agnès a simple bouquet of red and white roses.

"Shall we go? There's someone waiting for you."

…

The sound of heavy doors opening again grabbed the attention of everyone in the ceremony. Edea Lee, in a very uncharacteristic manner, slowly walked to the altar, keeping a calm and professional expression. Tiz looked better, but he still gave a shaky smile when Edea joined them.

"So, how's Agnès?"

"Oh, you know, acting just as nervous as you are. Seriously, she closed the door on me and Magnolia for half an hour! It took me forever to get her out."

Tiz hummed at her complaint. "I see...I'm glad I'm not the only one getting the jitters." Yu then gasped, his face reaching boiling red in record time.

"Wait...Magnolia's the flower girl?!" the knight blurted out.

"Well, yeah. She wanted to be the flower girl so much, we would argue for hours over it. Honestly, I feel like her stubbornness can rival mine at times," groaned out Edea.

Magnolia was the definition of a person in bliss. She didn't walk; she skipped and flounced her way to the front. Her basket of white rose petals was quickly depleted as she tossed the petals with a carefree jerk of her arm. The audience members hid their slight disapproval at her unprofessional display, but they, in turn, couldn't help but smile at the joyous grin on her face.

If Yu hadn't been captivated by her yet, he was now.

"She's having a good time," Tiz noted. Edea, upon looking at Yu's hypnotized stare, had to hold back her laugh. "Yu, save that look for when you're actually the groom!" she teased. Tiz's best man turned to glare at Edea. "H-hey! I wasn't staring or anything like that!"

"Oh, Yu, this is the best! I never knew weddings in Luxendarc can be so much fun!" Magnolia gleefully hugged her lover, almost sending them to the ground.

"M-Magnolia! Behave yourself!"

Edea and Tiz giggled at their display of affection. "They are so getting engaged soon," Tiz offhandedly suggested. Upon hearing the groom's teasing comment, the young lovers broke apart, avoiding each other's gazes.

The room's many whispers suddenly vaporized, with everyone's attention now facing the altar. A familiar clanking of metal armor vibrated into the audience's ears. The former Grand Marshal of Eternia extended his arm to the bride. "If you may," he gestured. Agnès lightly perched her hand onto his elbow.

"I feel like I need to apologize for asking this of you."

"You shouldn't. It's the least I could do for an ally. Think of it as a display of the bond between the duchy and the Orthodoxy." Agnès looked up, her face unreadable. The retired Grand Marshall saw her dubious expression and nervously cleared his throat.

"Of course, that's what outsiders might think. For me, however, I believe I'm merely clearing my debt to you. For you to work so tirelessly to bring peace to our world...I cannot thank you enough. And besides, I'm sure my daughter would throw a fit if I wasn't the one to send you off." The bride smiled then. Braev was a devoted father and ruler, stalwart and firm until the end. And just like Edea, she could not think of a better person for this occasion.

"Thank you, Templar Braev. Let us head forward."

The pair took their time to the altar. As they walked by, the seated attendees exchanged warm smiles. They looked as if they were going to burst into hushed whispers, but keeping the serenity of the moment reign supreme over all. Agnès kept his focus onto her soon-to-be husband, never losing eye contact, as if the sight of him in front of her was enough for her to keep moving forward without hesitation.

When Tiz locked eyes with his bride, his nervousness was banished to the farthest reaches of the world.

She was bathed in untainted white. The wedding veil only served to make her auburn hair stand out even more. Her dress, pure as the Eternian snow, did a wonderful job of accenting Agnès's figure; the skirt, down to the floor, filled half of the narrow walkway with its soft fabric. Her delicate appearance clashed with the heavy armor of the Templar, but to Tiz, there were no flaws. It was the perfect image.

The retired Grand Marshal handed Agnès over to the groom. Magnolia, Edea, and Yu all gave bright smiles to Tiz, and the groom returned the gesture before holding onto Agnès's hand. The pair faced forward to the bishop, and he cleared his throat, finally able to regain composure.

"Today, friends and family, we celebrate a most joyous union. These two young souls have experienced countless trials and tribulations in an attempt to save our world from dangers beyond our own. Today, we see that their union is true and eternal. Let us hear the vows that will bind them together for the rest of their lives."

Tiz clasped his lover's hand, pulling her in closer to stare into her eyes. "Agnès...this day, and here on forward, will always be treasured. Do you remember when we first met? How I nearly fell to despair after seeing Norende engulfed by the Great Chasm? You became a symbol of hope for me. You had given me a purpose. And as we traveled together, I discovered more about you as a person." His hand slowly rubbed her ring finger, sending small tremors up her body. She felt her heart block the halls of her ears with its repeated thumps. She was floating, and Tiz's words only made her feel lighter.

"Now, I cannot imagine life without you. You have done so much to change my life for the better. And so, Agnès, I vow to grant you the best life I can possibly give you. I vow to be by your side forever. I vow to love you until the end of our days."

"Tiz…"

"Agnès, will you promise me the same?"

The hall dropped dead silent at his question. Magnolia could feel the anticipation grow, even if the extent of their feelings were clear from the start. Then, the bride graced the room with increasingly bright joy, and she threw herself against Tiz.

"Yes, of course. Anything for you, Tiz. I love you. I will love you until death do us part."

"Agnès…"

Nikolah's grip on his staff increased, and Jean could physically see that the bishop was trying even harder to retain his calm demeanor. Tiz slid the simple pendant-transformed ring onto Agnes's ring finger, clasping her hand after it was properly secure. Seeing that the exchange was finished, the minister proclaimed in a strong, resolute voice, "I now pronounce you man and wife! You may now kiss the bride."

Magnolia stumbled back, shocked over the bishop's words. " _K-kiss?!"_ she almost shouted out...if it weren't for her hand on her mouth.

Feeling a sudden pressure in her arms, Agnès only had time to gasp before her mouth was sealed by a rough and passionate kiss. Her heart sporadically pounded against her chest, leaving her body flowing with shivers and tingling blood. The mouth covering her lips breathed vigor inside of her, but as soon as she could fully reciprocate, Tiz let go.

"Ahh...sorry for catching you off guard, Agnès. I couldn't-" Tiz was cut off by his suddenly assertive wife. Magnolia's face was bright red as she continued to watch the couple. Her thoughts drifted to when she told Yu her real name and could only wrap her mind around one thing.

" _Just how...passionate people on Luxendarc are?! I've never seen anything like this before!"_

Edea, taking full advantage of Magnolia's embarrassment, dragged Yu into the same spiral of discomfort, and by the time the wedded pair finally stopped displaying their affections, Magnolia and Yu faced away from each other, their cheeks burning.

"Agnès, throw the bouquet!" reminded Edea.

The bride gasped and turned around, closing her eyes. With one fell swoop, the bundle of flowers soared through the air. Young and eager girls in the audience trampled each other for the flowers, but it eventually landed into Magnolia's unknowing arms.

"Eh? What's this?" Magnolia questioned. Edea was full out laughing, having seen Yu on the brink of fainting after seeing his beloved catch the bouquet. Her laughter didn't cease, but she managed to let out an explanation.

"On Luxendarc, if a girl catches the bride's bouquet, she's likely the next person to get married!"

Magnolia was silent at first, but after a few seconds, a loud shout drew everyone's attention.

"W-what?!"

The crowd failed to hold in their own laughter, and the sounds that rang out only served to boost the amount of mortification the pair faced. Amidst his own chuckles, Tiz couldn't think of a better moment to store within him.

He finally got the happy ending he looked forward to for so long. And he would do anything to keep it close to him.

 **Party Chat: The Art of Blackmailing**

Denny: Ah, what a wonderful wedding.

Nikolah: Oh, a glorious day it is! I could hardly prevent the tears from falling.

Yu: I'm so happy for Tiz and Agnès. Finally, the hero of Norende can live peacefully with the one he loves by his side.

Jean: Hopefully that's the last one Edea will plan for a while. For crystal's sake, who would make someone travel around the world to deliver invites personally?! That's ludicrous!

Denny: Oh Jean, I've been meaning to ask about that exchange with Edea the other day about you handing out all of the invites to the guests. I heard something...very interesting.

Jean: You heard that? Damn, I thought we were alone.

Nikolah: Well, enlighten us, Jean. Did she have information on the strange incident with Magnolia like you suspected?

Jean: Actually, it was far from that.

Yu: Eh? So what did she tell you?

Jean: Apparently, it was a tip on how to blackmail someone. A certain someone that's very close to me, in fact.

Yu: W-what?!

Nikolah: Does that person happen to be...a certain leader of ours?

Jean: Man, back then, it would have been such great information to hold, but now that I've already know...what a waste.

Yu: W-wait! I need to know now! No doubt Edea must have said something horrible about me!

Jean: Well...she did tell me that whenever Yu is not willing to do something, I just have to drag Magnolia into the issue, and then you fall like putty into my hands.

Magnolia: Hmm? What are you guys talking about?

Denny: Magnolia, good timing. About that day in the hot springs, I'm afraid that we were-

Yu: N-N-N-Nii-san! It's nothing, Magnolia! Please ignore that! (Curse you, Nii-san! Fine, I'll do it later, before the end of tonight!)

Denny: (Good. It's about time.)

Magnolia: Yu, what's wrong? You know you can tell me anything.

Yu: A-a-ah! I just realized I have to go attend to the guests. See you around, everyone!

Magnolia: Wait, Yu! Are you hiding something from me?!

Jean and Nikolah: _Edea wasn't kidding when she said that this is the ultimate bribe for Yu. To use blackmail as blackmail...that woman is formidable…_

…

The reception party pushed Alfred's cooking skills to its limits. Chicken dishes, pasta dishes, beef dishes, vegetable dishes...all piled high on the lengthy glass table occupying the Zeneolsia dining room. Edea lunged for the delectable dishes the moment she stepped into the manor. This time, no one stopped her from eating to her heart's content.

While everyone was socializing and congratulating the newly wedded couple, one lone girl remained at the chapel, once again fixing her gaze at her former home.

"So...that was a Luxendarc wedding. How wonderful...I could feel the joy and love in the air."

Magnolia stood staring up, lost in thoughts all alone. She once again reflected on her choice to break her ties with her home, the one she had fought so hard to avenge. She knew that after fulfilling her mission, she must return home. She had a duty to her town to rebuild it with Blackberry. By leaving the people who needed her for her own happiness, was she the one at fault? Blackberry didn't think so. Severing the one connection she had to the Moon baffled her incessantly. Did Blackberry value happiness over duty? Or was his actions his way of repaying some sort of debt? Magnolia couldn't figure it out, and her thoughts shifted to the president. He wanted to kill her and her friends, but for what reason? What were the president's motives? Why did he make her mission to Luxendarc one of secrecy? None of it made sense, but she hoped that if she could never get those answers in her lifetime, then at least give them to Blackberry.

Her reverie was cut out by an awkward cough behind her.

"Good evening, Magnolia."

"Jean, what brings you here?"

The fencer, having changed out of his suit into his knightly garb, rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a small piece of paper. "I came to fulfill a request. Here, this is for you." She was handed the folded message, but she didn't open it right away.

"Thank you, Jean. I'll read it later. But more importantly, are you going out to patrol?" asked Magnolia.

"Just going for a stroll. I needed to clear my head and think about everything that's changed in these past few months. On top of dealing with Edea's nonsensical tasks, I'd have my hands full trying to reform the Orthodox Knights with Yu and Nikolah." Jean joined Magnolia in staring at the moon, sadly smirking at the crater-filled surface.

"You know, I feel like we have gotten closer, Magnolia. At first, I thought you were some lovesick fool going after our poor Yu."

"Jean! That was uncalled for!" The knight snickered into his palm, unable to hide his amusement at her flustered face. "Of course, I don't think of you in that way anymore, not after we crossed blades on the battlefield so many times. If anything, you're the only person I can trust when it comes to Yu."

Jean extended a hand to the Ba'al Buster. She looked at it confused, as if the gesture was something unknown to her. "Magnolia, can I leave Yu in your care?" Jean watched as she staggered back. "What brought this on, Jean? I don't understand." Smirking at her confusion, he only mysteriously answered, "You'll see. Anyway, will you? I feel better if I have someone reliable keeping him from trouble."

Magnolia tentatively stretched her hand out to grab his. "Of course. Although, his sense of recklessness is something that rubbed off on me." She winked at Jean, who groaned at her response.

"Jean, may I ask you something as well?"

One of his eyebrows lifted up. "Okay, shoot then," he obliged.

"Would you choose your own happiness over duty? Or would you pick duty over being happy?"

"Is this about the incident over our memories and the Ba'al?"

She gasped, stepping back in recoil. How did he figure that out? The fencer chuckled at her reaction. "I thought so. To be fair, it's something that everyone will have to deal with at some point. Even our former pope."

Of course, Magnolia thought. Agnès did not instantly bind herself with Tiz after she resurrected him. Finishing the reforms of the Orthodoxy was her duty since the end of her journey. And knowing Tiz, he wouldn't let her be with him until her dream was accomplished.

So, the question for her was whether or not her duty was something she can achieve at this moment. Her duty of rebuilding her homeland was snatched away by Blackberry…

"If you ask me, Magnolia, I'm more of a duty person. Especially now. I have crimes to atone for and a vow to keep. But, if it's you, I think you should pursue what makes you happy. I don't think your commander gave you your freedom just for you to feel guilty about it." He then pointed to the note he gave her. "I would read that now if I were you," he said.

"Ah, right."

As she unwrapped the note, Jean thought back to when he got the request, still thinking that he should have given the note to her.

" _Jean, can you do me a favor?"_

" _Huh? What is it?"_

" _Can you give this to Magnolia?"_

" _Umm...Couldn't you do it yourself?"_

" _I would, but I need to head to Eternia now."_

" _And why are you going to Eternia?"_

" _I need to prepare myself for what I'm going to do."_

" _Oh? Mind telling your friend what are you up to?"_

" _Jean, he's going to need all the help he can get. I suggest you do this for him."_

" _Nii-san!"_

" _Emper-Denny. I see. I guess I'll do it, just this once."_

" _Thank you, Jean! Oh, and umm...please don't read it until she opens it."_

" _No promises, Yu."_

" _Jean!"_

A small gasp caught Jean's attention, and he snapped his head to her. He took the note out of her hands and began to read aloud.

 _To my forgotten Magnolia,_

 _Come find me at the place of the magnolia tree._

 _I will be waiting for you._

The Ba'al Buster only dumbly stared at Jean, her cheeks flustered and her hands twitching. Jean chuckled some more, finding her reaction to be mildly amusing.

"I suggest you get going, Magnolia. We wouldn't want Yu to freeze himself out there."

…

Ringabel surveyed the developing city with stern eyes. The damage from the Ba'al was evident in the holes blasted into multiple buildings. The center of the city, symbolized by the large, thin tower, suffered the least damage. He approached the structure, pausing only once to sneak a peek at the tip. Walking in, he took careful observations about its design.

"Moonfort is an impressive city. No doubt it must have prospered greatly over the last few centuries. I have to thank Magnolia for giving me her ship, though it makes me wonder why she did. Well...nonetheless, I'm grateful for her kind action. Now...what did the vice-president want me to do?" The dark knight pressed a few buttons, and the floor shook slightly before dropping down to the depths.

When the elevator stopped, Ringabel found himself staring at a table overrun with leather belts. A screen to the right flickered with static, while multiple handwritten notes are attached messily to the wall. Connected to the dilapidated technology were multiple cords that all converged to a curious helmet, to then more cords, spawned from the headgear, entered a hole in the far left wall. Their final destination was a small storage container in the next room over.

"What is this?"

"That...is a machine to convert memories into SP."

Jumping with a start, the Planeswarden grabbed his crimson blade and pointed it at the stranger. The rugged red coat and matching hat threw him off, however, and he took a step back in alarm.

"You're…!"

"Yes, we have met many times, Planeswarden."

Deneb crossed her arms as she glanced over the wrecked technology. Ringabel followed her gaze and began to bombard her with questions. "What exactly happened here? Why was I sent here? Why are you here?"

"For the first question, it is a lengthy tale. As for the second question, that is not within my place to answer. And for the third question...I'm merely finishing a task I've started."

Ringabel did not budge at her answers. The adventurer uncrossed her arms, choosing to place them at her hip. "The president of Moonfort was a corrupt man. Even before elected, he was associated with a number of bribes and illegal deals. Your superiors could not do much to stop him permanently, but they were able to lower his chances of gaining more power. Then, one day, the Ba'al Diamante appeared and razed the fort to the ground. What the people didn't know was that Diamante's attack was led by him, bounded with a contract with that fairy. He seized power after Diamante left and began to make radical reforms. This city was slowly turned into an authoritarian rule, but the real turning point was when he sent a Ba'al Buster, No. 10345 Arch, to eliminate a Ba'al that escaped his domain. While she had done her job beautifully, she disobeyed the president's order of secrecy. However, this was a set-up from the beginning, as he knew that Arch will not succeed without asking for help. When she returned, she was immediately apprehended. The president's loyal guards strapped her to this machine and sapped her of her memories of that mission."

The dimensional warden was visibly shaken at the new knowledge he had just learned. Deneb paid no mind to his discomfort and continued with her explanation. "The motive for going through all of this trouble? It's quite simple. To establish his authority once and for all. If the people of Moonfort learns that their memories be erased should one misstep occurred, well...I believe that's enough fear to control them."

Ringabel, already reading the various remains of notes on the wall, quietly mused to himself. "So how did an entire city forget these same memories when Magnolia was the only one to get them extracted out of her?" For once, the adventurer bore a thoughtful grin.

"Who knows? This machine is capable of many things…"

He looked around some more, eventually landing his sights on the SP storage tank in the room over. Deneb took this as a sign to continue. "After removing her memories, the fairy that made the contract with the president decided to experiment. Manipulating a celestial being's memories was easy work for her master, but she wanted to know whether she herself could convert a human's memories into a Ba'al. The result was that monstrous Ba'al that flew to Luxendarc before your comrades invaded Moonfort. Granted it wasn't as strong as Diamante, and it took a longer time to manipulate, but she somehow achieved it. Of course, that fairy didn't toy with the idea of making a Ba'al anymore when her master sent her to serve the kaiser, so the Ba'al was left under the president's care. The creature slept in the depths of this tower under the watchful eye of the president's most trusted guards. And for several months, everything remained unchanged."

"This is until Arch was sent to Luxendarc again to find Diamante, but it was under the command of Blackberry, not the president."

At the mention of his superior, Ringabel turned to face Deneb, shock written on his face. "How was he able to sway the president?! That man wouldn't listen to reason at this point, yes?" The woman in red shrugged her shoulders. "That's something you can ask yourself."

"I've explained this machine's history to an extent. Many people fell victim to the president's method, and the SP generated from their memories fueled the monster sleeping down below. Eventually, the collection of memories inside the Ba'al blended together to the point where one memory was indistinguishable from another. I'm sure your superiors would want to make sure this machine is never used again..."

"So, I'm to assume that my job here is to assess this machine and give a detailed report on it, is that right…?" Ringabel noted, taking out his journal to sketch the design of the machine. As he drew, Deneb started to explain her side of the story.

"The new warriors of light, Yu and Magnolia, reminded me so much of Altair and Vega. In exchange for fulfilling Altair's and Vega's wishes, I would restore their memories of their very first meeting. After all, manipulating a person's memories can bring dire consequences, and I did not want the same thing that happened to Vega to happen to either Yu or Magnolia."

"And how, pray tell, did you restore these memories?"

Deneb grew silent, now glaring at the SP storage tank with unforeseen contempt. "The Ba'al that was created was incomplete. It needed a constant stream of SP to sustain it, hence the president's incessant purges. You know how cells work, yes? They create new copies of each other using energy that it receives. When a cell dies, it is converted into a waste product and forced out of an organism's body, having served its purpose. The same with the Ba'al. Magnolia's memories weren't enough to keep the Ba'al alive, and normally, in a long process, her memories would be converted to time energy and released from the Ba'al. What I did was merely decrease the time needed for the transformation to happen. Eventually, the time energy was converted to SP and found its way back to Magnolia's hourglass. It was then only a matter of waiting for them to activate Bravely Second and recover the memories within."

Ringabel finished his investigation, and Deneb directed him to the elevator. "Shall we head out? I do not plan to stay her for much longer," she invited. The dark knight accepted, and together, they rode out of the abandoned lab.

Once they were outside, Ringabel was able to see the pristine blue of Luxendarc's oceans below him. Ringabel headed to his ship, turning around to say his departures. "Deneb, where are you heading off to?" She putted back on her hat. "Who knows? Until we meet again, Planeswarden."

The two take their leave. Ringabel turned on his communication device and suddenly remembered another objective he needed to finish. He dialed a number and began to speak.

"I have returned, Vice President. Just as expected, it really does exist. The blade that cuts all...and the third key…"

"Bravely Sword…"


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue: The Flower That Mends**

 _"Yu, stop shaking. It won't be that bad... Oh, who am I kidding?! This is more nerve-racking than almost getting killed by that doll-controlling witch..."_

Yu Zeneolsia stood outside the snow-covered log cabin upon the snow covered hill with the lone magnolia tree. Despite the frigidness of the cold air, he felt abnormally warm, his body temperature clashing with the harsh, thin air. The moon, with its rounded light as powerful as a beacon, pierced the thin clouds of Eternia. Thin puffs of air flew out of Yu's mouth as he paced across the hill.

Anticipation crawled through his blood. Magnolia had to be here any minute now...he clutched the white flower in his hand gently, folding the petals inwards.

"Yu! Yu!"

The boy spun around to find Magnolia Arch in her freelancer attire happily waving to him, her breath forming a small cloud every time she exhaled.

"Wah!" His hand slipped on the flora, and he clumsily grabbed the delicate flower and hid it behind his back.

"Yu, are you okay? Your face is as red as a beet." She leaned forward and peered at his blushing face. "Uh...umm..." He cursed at his nervousness. The dread hit him full force, rendering him speechless.

"Are you alright? Maybe we should go somewhere warmer?" The boy shook his head vigorously, partly to get rid of his nerves. "No, that's okay," he assured. Not quite believing him, Magnolia frowned in confusion, but she stepped away from his space.

Yu cleared his throat. "Magnolia, remember when I first found you on that spaceship? I know that we met before...but to me, that was my first formal meeting with you. You were passed out on the floor, and I grabbed a magnolia in order to help you." She only nodded in response. "Yes, I remember. I thought that you were really giving me a marriage proposal."

He laughed softly at her statement. "Yes, that's right. It really surprised me when you explained it. Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. After that, we went through many things together. Finding Tiz, meeting Yoko, flying a hot springs around the world..." It was Magnolia's turn to giggle at his musing. "And the time you fell from that ledge and I jumped after you, right?"

Yu nodded. "All those times...made me realize how important everyone is to me. Especially you, Magnolia. I couldn't stop thinking about all of the things we went through together. How sad I was when I had to face the idea of you returning to the moon, or when you chose to stay here...and I told you how I really felt..."

She stayed silent. Yu took the moment to walk closer to her, his grip on the flower tightening ever so slightly. He took a deep breath, ready to bring up that special question, but his throat suddenly felt empty, and he stuttered to recover his voice.

"Yu, you shouldn't-"

"No! I have to do this! I can't turn back now. Just...please, give me a second."

The flustered boy broke eye contact with her, mentally preparing for his request.

" _Here goes nothing. Good luck!_ "

When Yu looked back to her confidently into her blood-red eyes, her red orbs reflected shock. "There's something I want you to have," he said. And from behind his back, he unveiled the white flower from his hands.

"Yu...this is..." she muttered. "Yes. This is a magnolia. Here." The flower was gently placed into Magnolia's cupped hands. "Oh...but Yu, you didn't have to..." she gasped loudly when she spotted a silver ring with an oddly colored gemstone. Her confused eyes met Yu's unreadable ones.

"Ah, that's right. You don't know about this. In Luxendarc, when a man wants to propose to a woman, he gives her an engagement ring." He sheepishly rubbed his head. "And since I never formally asked you..." Yu couldn't look at Magnolia anymore, and he quickly turned to the right, his face burning a fiery crimson.

The flower-wearing girl drew the magnolia closer to her chest. She plucked the jewelry out from its yellow bed, twirling the silver band to the moonlight. While examining, the gem captured the moonlight, creating a bright blue hue on the surface of the jewel. Fascinated by this, Magnolia turned her interested eyes to her lover.

"Oh...this is a moonstone. People say that it is used as a good luck charm, but most say that it's used to reunite people after a quarrel, especially couples. It's most powerful under a full moon."

Still enthralled by the gem, Magnolia could only let out, "So this flower...and this ring...it's for me?" Yu reassured her by gently placing the magnolia into her hair, leaving the ring in her cupped hands.

"I want to give you this ring not only to propose to you, but to also give you something to remind you of your homeland. Luxendarc may be your home now, but that shouldn't be any reason to forget where you came from. And I guess...the moonstone could also serve as a memento of everything we've been through."

She could not speak; the warmth she felt from Yu's kindness overwhelmed her, and she crashed into his arms and began to bawl. He panicked, his arms flying into the air. A few sniffs later, she disentangled herself, and after admiring the ring one last time, she slipped it onto her pointer finger.

"You put it on the wrong finger, Magnolia. Here, let me fix that."

"Oh really? What's wrong with this one?"

"Well...that's fine for a normal ring, but for this ring...there's a reason why they call this one the ring finger," he explained as he adjusted the band. With tears still running down her face, Magnolia clasped her hands together.

"Magnolia..."

"Thank you, Yu. I'll treasure this forever."

"And I'll treasure you for the rest of my life," he responded. Magnolia exploded at his vow, effortless and true. Realizing what he just said, Yu reverted back to his bashful self, tugging the edge of his sleeve.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Magnolia asked, breaking the silence.

"Of course. What is it?"

"Why do you still call me Magnolia?"

The knight took a moment to think about his answer. While he was analyzing his thoughts, Magnolia continued on. "I mean...I know that you are trying to avoid calling me by my real name in public, but you don't call me that when it's just the two of us. Is there any reason why?"

He hummed, still in thought. "I guess...I didn't want to call you by your real name because it wouldn't feel special to the both of us." Baffled by his statement, Magnolia kept quiet. "I mean, it's our little secret right? No one else is supposed to know about it."

"Plus, I just think Magnolia fits you better."

She didn't speak- couldn't speak. Her gaze fell to her ring, which shone with the calming, yet alluring hue of SP falling from a hourglass. Time froze for the pair...until Magnolia once again shattered the silence.

"Will you keep calling me Magnolia?" She whispered.

"Of course."

"In that case...I guess from now on, I will no longer bear the name Arch."

...

A flock of birds began its morning routine, slowly building twitters to present to the morning. In a small cottage in Norende, Agnès Arrior let out a small groan, her weary mind just starting to wake up.

"..."

"Good morning, Agnès. Do you want some breakfast?"

Tiz watched his wife sluggishly lift her body from their cozy bed. She did not respond to him, instead choosing to mumble his name. The shepherd chuckled at her behavior and sat himself onto the bed. His arms embraced Agnès, his hands sliding up and down her back.

"Tiz...what time is it?"

"The sun's just broke the horizon."

She didn't speak for a while. Detaching from her lover's embrace, Agnès stood up and stretched, her body jolting with shivers. While she prepared for the day's work, Tiz set the table for breakfast. Once he had properly laid the food, he huffed in satisfaction.

"I think that's enough. Agnès, breakfast is ready!"

"Okay, I will be out soon!"

The former pope walked out of the bathroom in her freelancer outfit and proceeded to join her husband for breakfast. Even though the food was a simple bowl of oatmeal topped with various fruits and a glass of milk, Agnès indulged instantly. Her husband chuckled at her actions, causing her to make the pouting face reserved for him.

"Sorry Agnès, it's just...it's been too long since you made that face."

"Tiz…" she whined, her pout stretching to her cheeks.

The rest of their breakfast was silent and quick. Once Agnès finished placing the dishware into their sink, she found her durable black gloves, slipped them on, and grabbed Tiz's hand.

"Ready to go, Agnès?"

"Yes, of course."

…

Edea Lee stood next to her dainty bed, looking around the hidden corners to look for unwanted guests. She ran back to the door, making sure that it was sealed tightly. After huffing in relief, she pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper.

She unveiled the slip to find a hastily drawn picture of herself followed by a note, also messily written. It took her a while to decipher the message, but when she did, she felt tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

"To my dear Edea," she read aloud, "There are many things I wish I could say to you, but alas, I'm in a bit of a hurry. What I can tell you right now is that no matter how far I go, I'll always come back to you. So, please, my dear, grace me, who has annoyed you for so long, with your presence the next time we meet, and forgive me for making you wait just a bit longer."

Folding the note back into its compact form, Edea went over to the balcony door. Letting a shiver run up her spine upon walking onto the balcony, she turned her head to the night, the full moon illuminating the sky alongside its many starry brethren.

" _It's suddenly clearer,"_ she thought.

 **Sometime later...**

"Thank you for attending this reunion. I'm sure everyone has come a long way, so let's not delay. Everyone, please head over to the Zeneolsia mansion for our feast." Agnès Arrior masterfully performed an elegant bow before stepping off the podium. Finally, the biggest reunion party was about to begin. Members of the audience all murmured in relief.

Braev Lee affirmingly nodded while his wife smiled with gentle beauty. Even though he was supposedly retired from his position, he wanted to check on his daughter. So far, she's doing a wonderful job running Eternia, holding up as a kind, but a bit hot-headed leader. Braev silently chuckled at the thought.

He was about to head off to meet up with Edea so that he can spend time with her when a voice halted him, "Everyone, we have important news to share."

Yu Zeneolsia made his way to the front of the crowd with Magnolia closely trailing behind him. Agnès swayed back and forth, lost in thought over any missed news.

"What is it, Yu? Some speech you made up?" The Orthodox Knights' leader shook his head.

"No, it's something we have been hiding from all of you for a while."

Tiz raised an eyebrow. "Something you hid from all of us…?" Edea, never one for waiting in suspense, cried out, "Well, tell us!" Yu opened his mouth, but froze after taking in a deep breath. Sensing his nervousness, Magnolia gripped his hand and gave him her famous wink.

"You can do it, Yu."

With that, he closed his eyes, relaxing the frantic beating of his heart. His eyes then opened with confidence only found during his battle against Providence. Magnolia pulled her glove away to reveal her ring.

"Magnolia and I...are engaged to be married!"

 _Fin._


	11. Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Hello, everyone! Seeing as this is the first multi-chapter fanfiction I've ever completed, it's time to introduce a new thing unique to me...at least I think it's unique to me. This page covers the behind-the-scenes of my multi-chaptered story, from the inspiration to alternate details that were considered as I was writing. I will also name certain people who have motivated me along and shown lots of support because it's hard writing a story that is different and yet entertaining. Also, consider this a replacement for my lack of author's notes in my chapter, as I want to keep my story only with text as compared with having an additional note at the end of every chapter. The format of this is in question form, as if they were asked by people reading my tale. If anyone has additional questions, feel free to private message me or send it in a review, and I will do my best to add it here. And so without further ado, the end credits for Bravely Second: Lower Ends.

Chapter 1:

Q: Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

A: Long story short, it was the end song of Bravely Second, Last Song. When I first looked at the lyrics, I thought to myself why the people who wrote it would choose these lyrics. After watching the demo, it became even clearer that the song's lyrics were intentional, and that it definitely alluded to the demo's ending. So, I decided to make a story in which the people involved with the demo had regained the memories of that incident and, as a result, would have to defend them with their life. Throw in some post-game humor and a wedding, and you have one hell of a story.

Q: How does this story fit into the game in terms of gameplay and such?

A: Well...if I'm going to put this somewhere in the game, I would see it as a DLC story at the end of the game, similar to Fire Emblem: Fates with its third route, Revelations. As for gameplay, obviously the scripted fights that are to come will not be repeated in the game. That's up to the player to decide, but the gist will be there.

Q: Will the title change like the game?

A: Well...yes. I imagine it's a bit too informal to put such a thing, especially when the creators spent so much time (at least I think they do) thinking of these puns. However, I did put my time into thinking of a clever title, so I do hope that the readers will actively try to solve what the missing letters mean and what meaning they have behind it.

Q: Alternate scenes for this chapter?

A: Hmm...I was originally going to have Edea and Magnolia run out of money, and in turn, couldn't pay for the cake on the spot. This would lead to a boss battle between them, Amy, and Panettone. It was cut mostly due to the fact that even if Edea did eat away both of their wallets, Amy and Panettone were not going to be unreasonable about it. Another thing I considered was making the kissing scene a bit more...graphic. Not like full-blown doing the deed, but I considered making it more passionate. Magnolia would whine (unknowingly) about her repressing her feelings for Yu from everyone else and, with the help of the drugged cake, she would show him exactly what she wants. Of course, I cut it due to lack of expertise when it comes to writing such a scene, but I also want people to wonder just how far she had gone that night...

Chapter 2:

Q: Doesn't a flower signify a marriage on the moon? (From Anon)

A: Yes, of course I know that. I also do know that they made that a huge misunderstanding between Yu and Magnolia, so a situation like that doesn't affect Magnolia too much anymore...unless Yu is seriously asking her for her hand in marriage.

Q: Would Edea really challenge Magnolia to win the Sacred Flower Festival?

A: In my mind, yes. To others, it might have seemed petty for Edea to involve herself in that way, but Edea's mind has very humorous ways of expressing what it wants. Plus, poking fun at Yu is one of her favorite pastimes (at least, that's what I see in the game).

Q: Doesn't Magnolia know what the language of flowers is?

A: I had a bit of trouble figuring out whether or not she does. Sure, the preview movie in Bravely Default had her citing it, but it was changed in the actual game to reference the moon. So, because I'm going by the actual game, I decided to make Magnolia clueless about the topic.

Q: Alternate scenes for this chapter?

A: The most obvious one had to be putting Agnes in the festival as well. There were a lot of scenarios that stood out to me when I considered this. For instance, I was going to have Agnes's reason to join something along the lines of "redeeming what little femininity she has." I could have also shifted the reason to it being a dare from Edea and having Magnolia join for the sake of joining. After toying with it though, I couldn't see Agnes participating in the festival again, and so she was delegated to being a side character.

Chapter 3:

Q: How would you interpret Jean's and Magnolia's relationship at this point?

A: I would think of them as reluctant friends. After the game, it's unclear about what he feels about her, unlike Denny, who actually confronted Yu about leaving things unsaid with her. What I put was a formal partnership between the two...until Jean's collapse.

Q: Why did you put Einheria and Artemia into this chapter?

A: That's a good question. Last I checked, Artemia is out there scouring the land, and Einheria was busy...training. They were probably brought together coincidentally when rumors of mysterious forces came into being...(Or maybe it's just me thinking that it would be a good place to put them).

Q: How long did it take you to translate the demo?

A: Let me answer one question first. Yes, I did translate the demo instead of waiting for the English version. I'm crazy, yes, so let's move on. It took me, for this chapter, two hours to translate that portion of the demo. What really held me back was the wording. Of course Google Translate wasn't going to give the perfect sentence automatically, so I had to "write" out the characters onto Google Translate, copy the phrase over to a dictionary, and decipher from there. It's a lot more complicated than you think, and sometimes, I translated some scenes that would have been good ideas to use, but ultimately I scrapped them due to translation troubles or lack of material.

Q: How did Denny come back?! It's impossible!

A: Yeah...this is one of my headcanons. As much as I would like to keep to the script of the game, meaning Denny is trapped in the future with Diamante, having him come back is one of those things that really stuck out to me. I mean...an explanation with the Dimension Wardens could be sufficient, but the game didn't reveal enough about them in order to draw a natural conclusion.

Q: Alternate scenes?

A: None, actually. While this may have been a short chapter, I was happy with it when I finished it.

Chapter 4:

Q: What is your opinion of Yu's tent?

A: I absolutely adore his tent (even though some of my friends snickered at the underlying meaning). The moments in them were wonderful and cute and...just everything I ever wanted. I had to do one in this story, so this chapter is more fourth-wall breaking and filler content.

Q: What do you think of the new special moves in terms of music?

A: I probably share the same sentiment with the other fans about this. Ryo is trying his best. I think some of the tracks he made (like Magnolia's theme, bless that song) were absolutely beautiful and stunning. Others...not so much. For instant, Yu's theme...could be better. By a lot. I always had a problem with his. I like the other special themes better, especially Magnolia's because come on, it's Magnolia. She can do no wrong to me (I'm female just letting you know). Edea's theme suits her well as a transition from a fledging to a more mature person. For Tiz...I had a field day with his. That theme was in my head for three weeks when it first came out. Now, I can still listen to it, just not on repeat anymore. All in all, I wished they brought back "You Are My Hope" and "Windward", but what I got was sufficient. Just...Yu, get a better theme.

Q: Why retell the events of _Bravely Default_ here?

A: Now that I had the chance of playing _Bravely Second_ , I see they reference the first game...a lot. However, the newcomers (mainly Magnolia) do not know the full details of their journey and what aspects of that journey contributed to their choices now. For example, Edea betrayed the duchy, but what were the side effects of that decision? Yu and Magnolia do not know that, and I felt like a tent event is the perfect place to dwell and explore on that.

Q: Alternate scenes?

A: Granted this is the supposed portion of the story where the "player" goes and grinds their characters while having filler content, there are many (and I mean many) scenarios that could have happened. I'm going to leave it there.

Chapter 5:

Q: Alternate scenes?

A: Well, I was going to have DeRosa and Geist ignore each other for the majority of the chapter, but I found it funny to have them insult each other over their coats. As for Reverent, he wasn't involved with this incident at all, so I practically ignored him. Let's just say he's keeping the house they have in check. Minette was also supposed to be cut, but seeing as how Kamiizumi took her everywhere, it would be reasonable to keep her there, even though she does practically nothing to the plot. Otherwise, this chapter went pretty much how I wanted it to go.

Chapter 6:

Q: Is this the part of the story that's marked the "turning point"?

A: Yes, I believe so. In the games, chapter five is when things are thrown out of loop, like the whole "using Bravely Second to reset the timeline" sort of thing. But I had to change the turning point of this story to chapter six because chapter five was placed in a weird, uncomfortable spot, and I couldn't find another good place to put it.

Q: What is it about memory loss that ticks Jean off so much?

A: From what I can tell, Jean only had his memory of his parents being killed to keep him going as he fought for the empire. He has no other reason to fight against the world, so being scarred by memories is significant to his character. As such, if a traumatizing experience is enough to drive him to desperate actions, regaining an important memory will also have the same effect. And I believe that the demo's story was important to him because in the first party chat you ever get in the game (if you played and received the demo gifts), it states how the three of them were stuck in Guatelatio after that incident in Istantal, meaning that what happened in the land of learning was a break from their usual routine. Normally, people would remember abnormalities in their everyday life, and so that why I deemed it important. As for more evidence of the source of his frustration, the end battle with Providence reveals that the god was manipulating Vega's memories, turning them into Ba'als. Within the fourth-wall destroying moment, everyone cheers you on and tells you to guide the group to victory, meaning that Jean knows the power of toying with another's memories.

Q: Why would Edea specially send Yu, Jean, and Nikolah to deliver the wedding invites?

A: Simple. The wedding is very important to Edea and Luxendarc that she wants to boast it to everyone. As for why she can't do it herself, she is in charge of running a nation now. Since she's busy, she probably wanted to give such a job to someone she really trusted. And as for why she contacted Jean first...it's implied that Agnes had something to do with it.

Q: Why would Yu and Magnolia hide their relationship until now?

A: Their relationship in the game was borderline reciprocation until the ending. Even after defeating a god and contacting a celestial being, you, the transition from comrades to lovers is a huge one. Magnolia doesn't have a problem revealing her affections for Yu to others, but Yu is another story. He probably will be teased mercilessly until he melts to the ground. It also doesn't help that he's "hopeless with sexy women" as Rifa puts it.

Q: Alternate scenes?

A: I actually went through a lot of rewrites for the last part of the chapter simply because I didn't know how to proceed. While in the middle of writing it, I went through a writer's block in terms of wording, thus the two oneshots I wrote while in this phase. The one part that was certain was that Jean needed to destroy the magnolia, symbolizing the transition to a new era. Also, have you guys been paying attention to the moon?

Chapter 7:

Q: How would you explain the reappearance of the ogre in the Wind Temple?

A: Well...there could be multiple ogres living around the area. It's not really explained in the demo how the beast came to the temple, so I am entitled to do the same. Really though, the best explanation I could think of is that a much stronger ogre suddenly showed up to attack the temple.

Q: How do you come up with these chapter titles?

A: They're not too hard. I was especially fond of this chapter's title and the epilogue title. However, if you're wondering if there's a set procedure to these names, then I'm afraid that all I can say is to leave it to your imagination and creativity.

Q: Translation time?

A: For this scene (I absolutely love it. It converted me to ship Yu and Magnolia so hard), it took me a good two hours to translate and word correctly. I'm happy to say that once again, my translation is almost on point. It's nice to know that my work isn't going to waste.

Q: Alternate scenes?

A: No, not really. This was the chapter, along with the epilogue, that I wrote when I first started this story because I couldn't help it. It's the most anticipated portion, so naturally, I had everything planned out from the start.

Chapter 8:

Q: Alternate scenes?

A: I thought a lot about how to progress. I originally was going to have the group meet the president himself and fight him, but then I have to make an official OC, and apparently, from what I learned way back when I first started, I make really bad OCs. Fine. I'm fine with that. I also considered which Ba'al the group was going to fight. The reason why I used Apparatus was because it was the closest thing to resembling a creature of "mended parts" like how someone would use rags to patch holes in clothing. The mega-ultra waifu chicken was a close second, but after seeing how it's a boss fight in the actual game...I decided against.

Chapter 9 and Epilogue:

Q: What were the missing two letters for the title?

A: F and M. The title would change from Lower Ends to Flower Mends. The reason why I chose this name was to foreshadow Magnolia's recovery of her memories. To some, those lost memories are holes that they must fill. While the SP was the thing that officially brought them back, it was the magnolia that brought back the bonds between Yu, Magnolia, and Jean. When Jean destroyed her magnolia, it represented his loss in faith in her. She refused to throw the flower away, refused to throw away the bonds she had forged while she had it, and so when Yu brings her another magnolia with the intention of proposing, it strengthens those bonds, not just with Yu, but with all the people she knows in Luxendarc. There are also many references of flowers in times of recovery throughout this story. As for what F and M stand for...it stands for Forgotten Magnolia, the nickname Yu decides to give to Magnolia.

Q: Alternate scenes?

A: For chapter 9, no. As for the epilogue, the original copy did not look like the published one. At first, it was only the Yu and Magnolia section with the end portion as content. I found that it only contains less than 1,000 words, and I found it unacceptable to release as is. The other stuff was there to fill the word count. Magnolia was originally going to have her flower given back to Yu as he gives her a new one, but when writing chapter six, I had to have Jean slice the magnolia. I originally was going to have Jean meet a random girl and get smitten, but that meant an OC and an out of character moment for Jean, which I didn't want.

And with that, this is the end of _Bravely Second: Lower Ends._ I would like to thank all of my followers for putting your faith into my writing and waiting patiently for more content. And to my favorites, who decided that this story fulfilled their curiosity and craving for more _Bravely Second._ And of course, to the people who spent the time to review this, I want to thank you for all of your support. All of you are truly wonderful, and I hope to see you in my other fanfictions.

But all good things must come to an end. So to all of you still following me, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Feel free to send in more questions for me to answer about any of my stories.

As for now, however, this is tale end.

 _A sneak peek of my next project…_

 _A groan escapes the girls' parched lips as she registers the sound of a stranger's call. Her mouth is the first to open, and a small portion of her tongue slides out to moisten the dry surface. Her eyes, luminous blue eyes, find the familiar gray clouds obscured by a figure dressed in dark._

" _Hey, are you okay?"_

 _Another moan crawls through her throat, this time from the strain of moving her muscles. How long has she been collapsed here? The stranger, seeing her struggle, offers his hand. She accepts the gesture and slowly rises to her feet._

" _W-where am I?"_

" _Heartland." The stranger takes another look at her frail body, covered with multiple bruises and cuts. She is covered with only the thinnest sheet of linen, but her posture suggests she haven't noticed the night's cold, merciless hand._

" _I do not think I have seen you around these parts. What is your name?" It was hard to note any details of her that stood out other than her eyes. The alley did its job a bit too well._

 _The girl refuses to speak. Seeing her reluctance, the stranger drops the question and asks another. "Do you remember anything? Of why you're here, or how you got here?"_

 _She shakes her head. Finally adjusting to the darkness, her eyes wander to the arm she has grasped onto: long, lean, and well-toned. His arms can strangle her within a moment's notice, she realizes, and terror implants her to the ground. A cloak hides the rest of his body, but his eyes, those steel-cold eyes, locks her heart in place._

 _Her hands cannot stop shaking._

" _It's okay. I won't hurt you."_

 _That dark, rich, and deep voice of his...how it captures her soul and calms her spirit! Her terror lessens, but he can still see her eyes, the eyes of helpless prey, shiver with her body. He lets go of the girl to unclasp his cloak. The girl feels the fabric touch her shoulder and is immediately surprised at the warmth it generously exudes. She turns to express her gratitude but stops when she peers into his eyes again. Even unveiled, they show not an ounce of emotion, worked and pounded and amended over and over until all she can see was nothing._

" _There he is!"_

" _Is that the 'Masked Man'?"_

" _Look! He has assaulted someone! Get him!"_

 _The stranger curses at the predicament he finds himself in. Taking quick glances between the girl and the incoming officers, he decides to grab the girl's hand and sprint down the alleyway, ignoring the girl's cries of shock. He looks back once and notices the strange bracelet on her wrist._

" _Is that...is she one of them?"_

 _Yes, he definitely needs to take this girl with him._

" _W-wait! W-where are you taking me?!"_

 _"Somewhere safe," he replies back._


End file.
